Word and Excel files slow to load.

[Cryptographic_ICE]

When I open Excel it opens instantly. If I open excel then choose File
- open that works fine. When I open up an Excel file (via double
clicking on the desktop) it takes forever to load (3-5min). I have
seen a few posts like this but they were all very old and no one had a
solution that worked. Word is also having the same challenge. I'm
using office 2003 and Windows XP. Here is what I did:

Office Detect and Repair
Office Updates
Windows Updates
Uninstalled unnecessary programs from add/remove programs
Closed the Antivirus program (Trend Micro)
Scanned for viruses / spyware
Scandisk / Defrag
Ran CCleaner and used the Registry Scanner
Checked the XLSTART folders for anything
Checked for addons (there are none)
Checked the file associations for .xls and .doc
Removed the Normal.Dot files

Can anyone think of a suggestion? Thanks in advance.

 

[garfield-n-odie [MVP]]

You might try the suggestion posted by John on July 19 at
http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.technet/browse_thread/thread/6232f8906a444c6a
.. Note that I haven't tried it myself because none of my users have
this problem. Be sure you know how to change it back if you need to.

 

[chad.m.terry]

When IopenExcel it opens instantly. If Iopenexcel then choose File
-openthat works fine. When Iopenup an Excel file (via double
clicking on thedesktop) it takes forever to load (3-5min). I have
seen a few posts like this but they were all very old and no one had a
solution that worked. Word is also having the same challenge. I'm
using office 2003 and Windows XP. Here is what I did:

Office Detect and Repair
Office Updates
Windows Updates
Uninstalled unnecessary programs from add/remove programs
Closed the Antivirus program (Trend Micro)
Scanned for viruses / spyware
Scandisk / Defrag
Ran CCleaner and used the Registry Scanner
Checked the XLSTART folders for anything
Checked for addons (there are none)
Checked the file associations for .xls and .doc
Removed the Normal.Dotfiles

Can anyone think of a suggestion? Thanks in advance.

I am having the same problem, and have pinned it down to Google
Desktop. Are you running that software? If so, turn it off and see if
that helps. I am still searching to see if there is a fix.

 

[jimlloyd3392]

Someone on one of the threads made an obscure comment about a networked
printer that wasn't working. Lo and behold we had this same problem.
An HP 6940 networked printer that a user had been using was taken down
off the network but the printer was still installed on this user's pc
(the one with the excel slowdown) and we de-installed the printer and
the excel files now open as they did before . . . much faster.

 

[LooseCannon]

Yeah jimlloyd3392! That seems to be it. I've been searching for ages and
had to us the "%1" fix with the Excel file types.

Having deleted a printer that seemed unavailable, even though it isn't, all
Excell files load quickly directly from shortcuts,,, having removed all
traces of the "%1" hax.

Thanks. :tup:

 

[paulshaffer]

This may not sound like the same issue but I've been working on this
issue for days. I have done various malware scans both in Safe Mode and
regular mode. I finally started using msconfig and disabling program
startups. Then continued using it to disable services. When I disabled
the Print Spooler service, spoolsv.exe, my slow (3-5 min) file
associations ended. So I re-enabled it, reboot, and clicked on an Excel
file; the problem was back. So while waiting for Excel to open the
file, I went into task manager and killed the spoolsv service. Wham!
My file was opened in Excel.

At present, I don't know what the solution is. My file version is
5.1.2600.5512 with a file size of 57,856. Virus scans do not complain
about it. Maybe I just have some messed-up drivers.

 

[paulshaffer]

I uninstalled and reinstalled some TPC/IP printers and that didn't work.
So, I used Windows Resource Kit 2003 cleanspl.exe and blitzed all of
the printer/spooler stuff. Then recreated the Standard TCP/IP port with
a registry import I found on the web. Then added my printers back in.
This time I installed the printers using Windows and browsing for the
..inf file on a CD or web driver download(I had to download and unzip the
Toshiba package and then browse in the extract directory for the .inf
file). Now printers and file associations work.

I think this trouble may have had something to do the huge HP install
package for our M2727nf. This time I only installed the printer driver
for HP and Toshiba. Period. No fancy-dancy 50MB installs.

I have been chasing this file association issue for several weeks. If
you kill your spoolsv.exe process and your file associations are back to
normal speed, start digging into your printers and print spooler stuff.
Whew!