Standard toolbar icons suddenly missing

[Mike Webb]

Using Excel 2002. Experience level: Novice
========================
A co-worker came to me this morning asking for help. The majority of the
standard toolbar icons in her Excel program are missing/blank. When you
mouse-over you see the tool-tip, so I know they're there. She states it was
working find last week. Did a quick search in the Excel 2002 support
section at Microsoft using "toolbars" as a search term, but only see
references to problems with custom toolbars. I have not tried the Detect
and Repair option yet.

Other than that, any ideas?

TIA,

 

[Gord Dibben]

Mike

Can you get to Tools>Customize>Toolbars or right-click on the Toolbar and
"Customize"?

If so, select the Standard toolbar and "reset".

This action will delete any customizations done to the toolbars.

Failing this, with Excel closed out, do a file search on your computer for
*.XLB file. When found, re-name it to something like *.XLOLD

Re-start Excel.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Mike Webb]

Thanks! I'll give it a try.

Mike

Mike

Can you get to Tools>Customize>Toolbars or right-click on the Toolbar and
"Customize"?

If so, select the Standard toolbar and "reset".

This action will delete any customizations done to the toolbars.

Failing this, with Excel closed out, do a file search on your computer for
*.XLB file. When found, re-name it to something like *.XLOLD

Re-start Excel.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Mike Webb]

Resetting the toolbar didn't work, so I renamed 3 found XLB files to
*.XLold, restarted Excel and we have all the icons back!

Thanks again!
Mike

 

[Gord Dibben]

Mike

Now the trick is to find which *.xlb file is the active one.

Do a search for *.xlb and note location(s).

Make a change or two to a menu or toolbar and close Excel.

When you have established which one is active, make a backup copy of it so's
you don't get burned again.

Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[David McRitchie]

Hi Mike,
Thanks for telling Gord and us your success, always good to hear when
the results when multiple suggestions are involved or solutions are more
complicated than normal.

One you have fiddled around to have things exactly as you had or want them.
You might want to print the window using the Print Key which only puts to the
clipboard. Alt+PrintKey then paste into
Word and actually print, so that you have a record of what you have.
Same for the desk top PrintKey then paste into Word and print it.

Some additional tip can be found on my
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/toolbars.htm
and your toolbars file should be included in your backup
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/backup.htm

If you restore a toolbar from a backup do it with Excel down and restore
it to the same place. If you mess up the toolbars during your session
simply open the toolbars file from Excel immediately. When you close
Excel the toolbars file is always saved, so if you close Excel you will have
to go to your bacup, work with what you have, or start over.