File association oddity

[c mateland]

On my machine, I have both Office 2002 and 2003, which are loaded into
different folders. Xls files I open from Windows Explorer open in
Excel 2002. I changed the association to 2003, but something odd is
now happening. Now, when I double-click an xls file from Windows
Explorer, the correct Excel version opens (2003), but upon opening, it
first alerts me it cannot find several other workbooks and I have to
click OK to each. I think it's pulling them from an old recent used
list or something. Anyway, the desired file finally opens after all
that. Excel opens fine when I start it normally.

Did I do this wrong, or was there a better way to change association
to 2003?

These were my actions to change association: In Windows Explorer
Folder Options, under File Types, I located the xls extention and
clicked the Advanced button. I then clicked the Open action and
clicked the Edit button. There, I changed the path in the "Application
used to perform action" field. (I only changed the path, not the file
name or switches.) This is what it reads:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 2003\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e %1
DDE Message: [open("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE application not running: [blank]
Topic: system


Thanks,
Chuck

 

[c mateland]

Clarification:

The alerts that it cannot locate files is Excel trying to open file
names it's making up from parts of the path to the file I'm opening.

I'm opening this from WinExplorer:
F:\_s_ Clients\form automation\_Forms\Smart Book\GSD.xls

But Excel first tries opening:
F:\_s_.xls
Clients\form.xls
automation.xls
_Forms.xls
Smart.xls
Book.xls

What have I done wrong, and how do I fix that?

-Chuck

 

[Dave Peterson]

Before I fiddled with the settings manually, I'd try this:

Do this in each version of excel:
Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)


--- or ---

Then reregister excel with the version you want to be the default when double
clicking on a file:

Close Excel and
Windows Start Button|Run
Windows Start Button|Run
"C:\yourpathtoexcel2003\excel.exe" /regserver

The /unregserver & /regserver stuff resets the windows registry to excel's
factory defaults.

The last version of excel installed or registered should be used as the default
when double clicking.

On my machine, I have both Office 2002 and 2003, which are loaded into
different folders. Xls files I open from Windows Explorer open in
Excel 2002. I changed the association to 2003, but something odd is
now happening. Now, when I double-click an xls file from Windows
Explorer, the correct Excel version opens (2003), but upon opening, it
first alerts me it cannot find several other workbooks and I have to
click OK to each. I think it's pulling them from an old recent used
list or something. Anyway, the desired file finally opens after all
that. Excel opens fine when I start it normally.

Did I do this wrong, or was there a better way to change association
to 2003?

These were my actions to change association: In Windows Explorer
Folder Options, under File Types, I located the xls extention and
clicked the Advanced button. I then clicked the Open action and
clicked the Edit button. There, I changed the path in the "Application
used to perform action" field. (I only changed the path, not the file
name or switches.) This is what it reads:
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 2003\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e %1
DDE Message: [open("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE application not running: [blank]
Topic: system

Thanks,
Chuck