Embedded Excel Documents not working in Word.

Question

I have a team member who has an embedded Excel spreadsheet in a word document.
When they try to edit the Excel document now they get the shown below "The program used to create this object is Excel. That Program is either not installed on your computer or it is not responding"

When the team member shared the document with me I do not get the same error.
I have tried the following.
reinstalling Office 365 on his system
disabling all add-ons
Checking task manager for any other running instances of excel.
And disabling Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) but this user still has the same error.
What else could we try?

Answer 1

Hi Ryan,

Thanks for posting in the community. We are happy to help you.

According to the error message, please try the following suggestions, then check again.

1. Some users mentioned the following steps can help you to open the embedded Excel object. Please check if they work.

a. Close and reopen the Word application and the Excel application.

b. In the Excel application, please open an existing workbook.

c. In the Word application, open the document and double-click the Excel object.

2. As you mentioned you have disabled all add-ons, I would like to confirm if you disabled all COM Add-ins in Excel (File> Options> Add-ins> choose "COM Add-ins"). If not, please disable all COM Add-ins in Excel. After that, please reopen Word and test again.
3. Based on my search, some users mentioned the situation is caused by an app called "My Office". Please go to Windows settings> Apps & features, and check if you can find this app. If so, please uninstall it, and then check again.

If the above suggestions don't help, to troubleshoot the problem further, I would like to collect more information.

1. Does the problem happen to a specific document or all documents? Please create a new Excel workbook and new Word document, embed the Excel data into the Word document, edit the Excel object and check again.
2. Please switch to another Windows user profile (if you don’t have another Windows user profile, please create a new Windows user profile, then switch to the new user profile), run Word, and check again.
3. Please provide the member's Office version and product information. Click File> Account, please take a full screenshot of the current interface. After that, please click the "Insert Image" button to upload the screenshot.

We look forward to your response. Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely, 

George | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 2

1. Some users mentioned the following steps can help you to open the embedded Excel object. Please check if they work.

a. Close and reopen the Word application and the Excel application.

b. In the Excel application, please open an existing workbook.

c. In the Word application, open the document and double-click the Excel object.

Tried this didnt work.

2. As you mentioned you have disabled all add-ons, I would like to confirm if you disabled all COM Add-ins in Excel (File> Options> Add-ins> choose "COM Add-ins"). If not, please disable all COM Add-ins in Excel. After that, please reopen Word and test again.

No Add-Ons enabled.

1. Does the problem happen to a specific document or all documents? Please create a new Excel workbook and new Word document, embed the Excel data into the Word document, edit the Excel object and check again.
   Problem Occurs with all documents.
   Created new Word Document and Embedded new Excel Table.
   Could Edit the Object.
   Once Saved, and Reopened Could no longer Edit the object.
2. Please switch to another Windows user profile (if you don’t have another Windows user profile, please create a new Windows user profile, then switch to the new user profile), run Word, and check again.
   Im not completely understand I if you mean if other users can use the document? But when the user sends the document to me, I can edit the document under my profile
3. Please provide the member's Office version and product information. Click File> Account, please take a full screenshot of the current interface. After that, please click the "Insert Image" button to upload the screenshot.
   ![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/3517c99e-b9a3-4465-b492-69055cc9c0ea?platform=QnA"https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/e9f2f73d-b19d-48ff-b41b-a771c5fa40ca?platform=QnA" title="filestore.community.support.microsoft.com" rel="ugc nofollow">![](https://learn-attachment.microsoft.com/api/attachments/e9f2f73d-b19d-48ff-b41b-a771c5fa40ca?platform=QnA

Answer 3

Hi Ryan,

Sorry for my late reply.

For another Windows user profile, please view this article: How to switch users (accounts) in Windows. After you switch to another Windows user profile, please run Word and Excel to test again.

Also, you mentioned you have reinstalled Office, I wonder how you uninstalled Office before. From Apps & features? If so, I recommend you download and run the Microsoft 365 uninstall support tool to completely uninstall Office and remove cache files, then reinstall Office and check again.

We look forward to your response. Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

George | Microsoft Community Moderator

Answer 4

Switched Profile on that machine (no change, but like mentioned the document will function on a different machine)

Ran the uninstall support tool and complete removed Office
Reinstalled from Office 365.
No change still doesnt function on this device.

Answer 5

Switched Profile on that machine (no change, but like mentioned the document will function on a different machine)

Ran the uninstall support tool and complete removed Office
Reinstalled from Office 365.
No change still doesnt function on this device.

This is a known bug in WORD.

Please see my posting here:-

How can I edit Excel spreadsheet in Word without opening external Excel window?

I’ve just tested this on:-

Version 2309 - Build 16.0.16827.20166 ON Windows 11 Home 22H2

 - and found it to be working.

The last time I found it not to be working was:-

Version 2307 - Build 16.0.16626.20170 ON Windows 11 Home as at Thu Aug 24/23.

Please see posting here:-

Object opening in Excel in Word. I cannot edit the excel embedded in - Microsoft Community

 - where a user shows a solution that worked for them.