Excel Problem - please help

[CarlT]

Please help, I have the following problem with Excel, and is causing me great frustration!

- I cannot open any Excel files (saved on desktop or attachments) just by clicking on them.

- I have to open Excel as a program and then go "file, open etc"

What have I done , please please help as it is doing my head in.

PS. It is on a work laptop (I work from home), our IS dept are worse than useless !!!

[Smiler.]

CarlT said:

Please help, I have the following problem with Excel, and is causing me great frustration!

- I cannot open any Excel files (saved on desktop or attachments) just by clicking on them.

- I have to open Excel as a program and then go "file, open etc"

What have I done , please please help as it is doing my head in.

PS. It is on a work laptop (I work from home), our IS dept are worse than useless !!!

Can you open them from a folder? Do the files display the Excel file icon?

[CarlT]

Smiler. said:

CarlT said:

Please help, I have the following problem with Excel, and is causing me great frustration!

- I cannot open any Excel files (saved on desktop or attachments) just by clicking on them.

- I have to open Excel as a program and then go "file, open etc"

What have I done , please please help as it is doing my head in.

PS. It is on a work laptop (I work from home), our IS dept are worse than useless !!!

Can you open them from a folder? Do the files display the Excel file icon?

Can you open them from a folder? - Not directly. Have to 'go through' Excel the programme!
Do the files display the Excel file icon? - Yes. I have tried "right click - open with" and that does not work either !

[Smiler.]

CarlT said:

Smiler. said:

CarlT said:

Please help, I have the following problem with Excel, and is causing me great frustration!

- I cannot open any Excel files (saved on desktop or attachments) just by clicking on them.

- I have to open Excel as a program and then go "file, open etc"

What have I done , please please help as it is doing my head in.

PS. It is on a work laptop (I work from home), our IS dept are worse than useless !!!

Can you open them from a folder? Do the files display the Excel file icon?

Can you open them from a folder? - Not directly. Have to 'go through' Excel the programme!
Do the files display the Excel file icon? - Yes. I have tried "right click - open with" and that does not work either !

What version of Windows do you have?

[CarlT]

Smiler. said:

CarlT said:

Smiler. said:

CarlT said:

Please help, I have the following problem with Excel, and is causing me great frustration!

- I cannot open any Excel files (saved on desktop or attachments) just by clicking on them.

- I have to open Excel as a program and then go "file, open etc"

What have I done , please please help as it is doing my head in.

PS. It is on a work laptop (I work from home), our IS dept are worse than useless !!!

Can you open them from a folder? Do the files display the Excel file icon?

Can you open them from a folder? - Not directly. Have to 'go through' Excel the programme!
Do the files display the Excel file icon? - Yes. I have tried "right click - open with" and that does not work either !

What version of Windows do you have?

XP !

[Smiler.]

Control Panel - Folder Options - File Types Tab - scroll down to XLS file type & see it shows Excel.

If this looks good, it's probably a registry thing. One can get into a lof of trouble with this so be careful.

Start/Run - type regedit

Go to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.mhtOpenWithListMicrosoft Excelshelleditcommand

Should show something like: "C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice10EXCEL.EXE" /e

However if you're not sure - leave it. Messing in the registy can permamently nack your PC.

[Platinum]

Doesn't Excel have a repair function? Would this cure it?

'Detect and Repair' under the 'Help' menu.

Edited by Platinum on Friday 4th May 21:57

[CarlT]

Smiler. said:

Control Panel - Folder Options - File Types Tab - scroll down to XLS file type & see it shows Excel.

If this looks good, it's probably a registry thing. One can get into a lof of trouble with this so be careful.

Start/Run - type regedit

Go to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.mhtOpenWithListMicrosoft Excelshelleditcommand

Should show something like: "C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOffice10EXCEL.EXE" /e

However if you're not sure - leave it. Messing in the registy can permamently nack your PC.

The registry is locked and I dont have "folder options" on my control panel.

But, thanks for your help !!

[GreenV8S]

CarlT said:

Yes. I have tried "right click - open with" and that does not work either !

More details - what happens, in what way doesn't it work?

[ErnestM]

Can you...?

1. Double click the icon and then... wait.

2. When Windows pops up asking you which program to use, select Excel...

3. Be sure to choose the "always use this program..." option

ErnestM

[CarlT]

GreenV8S said:

CarlT said:

Yes. I have tried "right click - open with" and that does not work either !

More details - what happens, in what way doesn't it work?

The file does not open

[CarlT]

ErnestM said:

Can you...?

1. Double click the icon and then... wait.

2. When Windows pops up asking you which program to use, select Excel...

3. Be sure to choose the "always use this program..." option

ErnestM

It tries to open it in Excel, but does not open anything !