Strange menu behaviour

[Eitan]

Assume Excel 2000 on Windows XP.

When I select "Tools" or "Data" menu items, Excel unexpectedly shuts down
immediately, with no warning. Similar problems occur with other Office 2000
apps, but Excel seems to be most affected.

I have tried detect/repair; uninstalling/reinstalling; virus check; shutting
down virus checker (AVG); scanning disk.

Uninstalling doesn't entirely remove Office (for example calendar items in
Outlook are preserved on reinstall). So I suspect being able to completely
uninstall all remnants of Office may be a solution --- Is it possible to do
this on XP (I know there is a Windows 2000 utility for this, but this is no
good for XP)?

Any ideas gratefully received. Final option seems to be a complete reinstall
of XP system, which for obvious reasons I'd like to avoid!

Thanks in advance,
Eleibo

 

[David McRitchie]

Try renaming your ..xlb file to see if that is the source of the
problem. This will cause Excel to create a new toolbars file.
--

 

[Tan]

Could not find any .xlb files on my (XP) system, despite searching
exhaustively through all (hidden, system, protected etc.)files; with Excel
open and closed. That is quite strange, any guidance?

By the way, I have observed that Excel does not have the same problem when
opened under a different user on the same system.

Try renaming your ..xlb file to see if that is the source of the
problem. This will cause Excel to create a new toolbars file.
--
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

Assume Excel 2000 on Windows XP.

When I select "Tools" or "Data" menu items, Excel unexpectedly shuts down
immediately, with no warning. Similar problems occur with other Office 2000
apps, but Excel seems to be most affected.

I have tried detect/repair; uninstalling/reinstalling; virus check; shutting
down virus checker (AVG); scanning disk.

Uninstalling doesn't entirely remove Office (for example calendar items in
Outlook are preserved on reinstall). So I suspect being able to completely
uninstall all remnants of Office may be a solution --- Is it possible to do
this on XP (I know there is a Windows 2000 utility for this, but this is no
good for XP)?

Any ideas gratefully received. Final option seems to be a complete reinstall
of XP system, which for obvious reasons I'd like to avoid!

Thanks in advance,
Eleibo

 

[David McRitchie]

Hi Tan,

I keep forgetting to say that the .xlb file is a hidden file, but you
said you already checked.
..
Someone else said that they only found the *.xlb file through the
DOS command run from the Command window.
dir *.xlb /s
Specifically to look amongst hidden files (don't know if it is restricted to)
dir *.xlb /s /h
-------------------------------------------------------------
In a private conversation with someone else:
Your *.xlb is a hidden file, suggest you don't hide anything.

My Computer, Folder Options, View,
Show Hidden Files and Folders

There should be a
Search Options, Advanced Options, search subfolders
I don't know why, but fortunately for me the option is always checked
even though I don't see it unless I go through the above.

The *.xlb file you want would be the latest one modified.

More information on my Backup and Recovery page
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/backup.htm

results:

Found the file via DOS!

Turns out that Windows NT4 Windows Explorer on my laptop searches only ONE
subfolder level deep on the C: drive. It searches all the way down on D:
(partition on hard drive) and on all network drives. That's why I couldn't
find the file using Explorer!

---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm


----------------------------------------------------------

 

[Eitan]

Hi David,

Thanks for your response.


In fact, I have resolved the problem. There appears to be a conflict between
Office 2000 and a program I run called WindowBlinds (adds customisable skins
to the windows interface).

The problem is solved by disabling Window Blinds. I will explore Stardock's
site to see if there is a known fix.


Regards,
Tan

Hi Tan,

I keep forgetting to say that the .xlb file is a hidden file, but you
said you already checked.
.
Someone else said that they only found the *.xlb file through the
DOS command run from the Command window.
dir *.xlb /s
Specifically to look amongst hidden files (don't know if it is restricted to)
dir *.xlb /s /h
-------------------------------------------------------------
In a private conversation with someone else:
Your *.xlb is a hidden file, suggest you don't hide anything.

My Computer, Folder Options, View,
Show Hidden Files and Folders

There should be a
Search Options, Advanced Options, search subfolders
I don't know why, but fortunately for me the option is always checked
even though I don't see it unless I go through the above.

The *.xlb file you want would be the latest one modified.

More information on my Backup and Recovery page
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/backup.htm

results:

Found the file via DOS!

Turns out that Windows NT4 Windows Explorer on my laptop searches only ONE
subfolder level deep on the C: drive. It searches all the way down on D:
(partition on hard drive) and on all network drives. That's why I couldn't
find the file using Explorer!

---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm


----------------------------------------------------------

Could not find any .xlb files on my (XP) system, despite searching
exhaustively through all (hidden, system, protected etc.)files; with Excel
open and closed. That is quite strange, any guidance?

By the way, I have observed that Excel does not have the same problem when
opened under a different user on the same system.


Office
2000 items
in possible to
do this is
no

 

[David McRitchie]

Hi Tan,
You might also try a Google Web Search:
windowblinds excel menu problems skins
Showed 37 hits for me didn't bother looking at them since I don't have that software.

How did you determine that that was the problem, hope for gaining more
insight that it was more than just a lucky guess. Like perhaps the last newly
installed software or option change..

 

[Eitan]

Started system in safe mode. Excel functioned correctly. In addition, a more
plain-vanilla user set-up I have on my pc also worked fine.

Determined that WindowsBlinds was one of only two or three potential causes,
there being only a few key differences between my plain-vanilla and usual
user set-up.

Nothing particularly relevant on suggested Google search. But Stardock do
have updated version of WindowsBlinds, which I may try later.


Regards,
Tan

Hi Tan,
You might also try a Google Web Search:
windowblinds excel menu problems skins
Showed 37 hits for me didn't bother looking at them since I don't have that software.

How did you determine that that was the problem, hope for gaining more
insight that it was more than just a lucky guess. Like perhaps the last newly
installed software or option change..
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm

Thanks for your response.

In fact, I have resolved the problem. There appears to be a conflict between
Office 2000 and a program I run called WindowBlinds (adds customisable skins
to the windows interface).

The problem is solved by disabling Window Blinds. I will explore Stardock's
site to see if there is a known fix.