Excel Start Up Issues

Question

I recently began having issues when starting Excel from a shortcut on my desktop to one of my spreadsheets. This only began happening in the last month or so.

When I double click on one of my shortcuts, it will ask for the file password as normal, and then once I enter it and click ok,, I receive and error message that states:

Microsoft Office Excel has stopped working

Windows is checking for a solution to the problem.

At first I thought maybe something in my spreadsheet was corrupted, so I started a brand new spreadsheet as a test, and I still have the same issue.

After several tries, Windows asked me if I would like it to check the program for any issues, and it found none and reported no errors.

One of our techs then ran the Office Repair program, and again no issues were found to be corrected.

They then reinstalled Office, but I am still having the same issue.

It should be noted that I can start Excel directly by going to the Excel program with no issues.

Additionally, there have been no new add-ins or programs that have been installed on my system either just prior to this issue beginning, nor have any been installed since, and Excel is one of the first programs I start first thing in the morning.

As this program has been reinstalled, and I am having the same issue, I am looking for any thoughts or ideas on what might be creating this problem/issue.

Answer 1

If you change your shortcut's property from "C:\My Dir\My file.xls" to

Excel.exe "C:\My Dir\My file.xls"

does it change the behaviour?

or, if you hold the shift key down while using the original shortcut (so that Excel opens in Safe mode) does that change the behaviour?

Does the crash message give you the option to view details?  If so, what module is shown as failing?

Trying to narrow down the possibilities here - still with no clue as to the real problem.

Answer 2

Yes...If I use a shortcut to a worksheet in an attempt to open Excel, it crashes after I enter the password, however, if I then click the shortcut again, the worksheet opens up...

If I start a generic Excel session, and then use my shortcuts or open a worksheet from an attachment in Outlook, I do not have any issues...

Answer 3

To be clear:

if you have Excel running and you use a shortcut to open a workbook it opens OK?

if you use a shortcut to a CSV file when Excel is closed, does Excel crash?

[I confess that I can't immediately think of a way forward that you haven't already tried, but I would like to be completely clear on the symptoms]

Answer 4

Once I have opened Excel by going to the Excel start icon, everything works fine...

Its just when I try to start/open Excel from a shortcut to a worksheet, that I never had problems with before, or when trying to open a spreadsheet contained in an email...

Answer 5

I understand:

• you get an Excel crash when you use a particular shortcut to an Excel file
• you can open Excel from the Start menu with no problem

Having opened Excel can you then open the workbook that the shortcut references using File > Open?

If so, having opened Excel (again!) can you then open the workbook by using the shortcut?

It could be useful to see in what module the crash occurs (I can't recall how much information Vista gives you in such circumstances)