Problems opening macro-enabled workbook in Excel 2007

Question

I have just recently bought a new laptop running Windows 8 and downloaded Office 2007, transferring my license from a previous computer. As far as I could tell, it seemed fine.

Today, for the first time, I tried opening files in Excel. I brought two Excel spreadsheets home from work on a USB drive: the first is a macro-enabled .xlsm and the second is .xlsx. I tried opening the macro-enabled file from the Open dialogue, but when I clicked on the file the dialogue disappeared but nothing further occurred. I tried opening it from the File Explorer, and Excel opened but the file did not. I tried doing the same for the .xlsx file, and at first it appeared as if nothing were happening but it did eventually open after some time. However, given the size of file, it should not have taken so long.

I also opened an existing Excel file from my hard drive, not too much smaller than the normal file on the pen drive, and this opened fine without a problem. I can't work out if the issue is with Excel or with my USB drive (or both), and I'm not sure how to fix it. I have tried rebooting the laptop, and removing and replacing the drive and it still isn't working.

Any help or suggestions much appreciated!

ETA: I have managed to find a .xlsm file on my hard drive. This opens without a problem. I also tried copying the file from my USB to the hard drive but this still wouldn't open.

If it's relevant, the file was created in Excel 2010.

Answer 1

I tried them on another computer at home and they did work (opening from the USB). So it doesn't seem to be corrupted...

Thanks for all your help, btw!

Answer 2

Hmm.. what I was trying to determine is what happens to Excel when you try to open the workbook and nothing happens. So I was trying to see if Excel was opening at all, even in memory. 

Anyway, the only other thing I can think of is that your copies of the workbooks were corrupted when they were put on the USB drive. I'd try to open them on your work computer just for completeness sake, to see if they open normally there. Then copy them to the USB drive and try to open them on the same computer. Then make sure to disconnect the USB drive before you pull it out of the USB port. Then take it home and see what happens. That way you know they worked at work, you know they worked on the USB, so it must be something to do with the computer at home or applications on that home computer.

Try that and let us know.

tod

Answer 3

Well..all of my ideas for a solution kind of went out the window when you said..that the file on your hard drive opened without a problem. However, just for grins, check to see if there are any instances of Excel open in memory. To do this, first close Excel. Then click on windows Start globe and type Task Manager in the input box and hit Enter to bring up the Task Manager. In the Windows Task Manager, click on the Processes tab. Search that list for EXCEL.EXE. If you find one, something is causing Excel to get stuck in memory. Click on the EXCEL.EXE and then the End Process button to end it. 

When you try to open the Macro-Enabled workbook, look in Task Manager to see if Excel is open there.

Tell us what happened.

tod

Answer 4

I'm not particularly familiar with the Windows 8 Task Manager but I couldn't see anything that looked like Excel in the processes. It came up as normal when I opened it.

Answer 5

Okay, well I guess I'm stumped. 

Do you have macros enabled on the Excel at home? Does that instance of Excel open properly if you just open it by itself. Enable your macros and try opening the macro-enabled workbook.

Hmmm..that's all I got.

tod