Extra Book1 File opened everytime I open an existing Excel spreadsheet

Option 1 -  Please look into C:\Users\User_Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel (replace user name with your user name) and see if is contains few files. Move those files to some other location (i.e create a backup of those files and delete all files from here). Hence, make Excel folder blank.

Now open the file and see if the problem disappears or not.

Note - to find Excel path, you need to find XLSTART path. Excel folder contains XLSTART folder in itself.

1. Open Excel
2. ALT+F11
3. If Immediate Window is not visible, type CTRL+G. Same can be also be accessed through View > Immediate Window
4. Type ? application.StartupPath and press enter
5. You will have your path below.

Option 2 - Few users have faced problem because of .xlb file. Go to C:\Users\User_Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel as in Option 1 (This path is one level lower of XLSTART) and change the extension of .xlb file(s) to something else say .xlb1. Close Excel and restart Excel again. Your old .xlb file will be there in the folder so that in case you need it in future.

Option 3 - One user reported - I was also having this intermitttent issue and I found out that it is related to the Explorer preview pane. It only occurs if the preview pane is open and the xls file was never selected. Double clicking on the xls file opens 2 instances of excel (one empty). The second instance is probably the one used to show the file in the preview pane. Once the file have been seen at least once in the preview pane(during the current session)  the issue does not occurs, anymore (until reboot and/or some time has elapse. I guess there is some sort of caching). TURN OFF THE PREVIEW PANE IN WINDOWS EXPLORER. If the preview pane is a must, you can right click and 'open' the document and not get the issue.

Option 4 - Look if in recent past, you had installed any Add-In. Disable that and see. To disable, File > Options > Add-Ins and you can manage Add-ins here. - http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/support/why-cant-i-start-my-office-2013-application-HA104011864.aspx

Option 5 - How to troubleshoot start up problems - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/280504/en-us

Option 6 - How to prevent files from opening automatically in Excel - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/826922/en-us

Option 7 - Login to Windows with a new user profile and run Excel."

Thank you for the reply.

Let us clear Excel startup folders then check if that resolves the issue.

To clear Excel startup folders:

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office14\XLStart (C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office14\XLStart in case of 64-bit O/S.)

C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Note: Take a backup of files before deleting the files.

Thank you.

Thanks Nayana, I tried the steps and this did not resolve the issue.  My issue is that the file opens as expected, but there is also an additional blank Book1 file that is also opened.

Hi,

Check if you have add-ins installed (file/options/add-ins/manage) and disable the add-ins.

Note: note the add-ins that are installed to know which one were installed.

Hello Jody,

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Office Excel Community.

You may follow the steps provided in the thread link given below which discusses the similar issue and check if that helps.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office\_2013\_release-excel/files-not-opening-in-excel-2013/afdf3ff9-a3ca-435a-babb-fa29acf3ce11

For further queries, reply and we would be happy to assist.

Thank you.