I can't open Excel files by clicking on the file

Question

I can't open Excel files by clicking on the file

Anonymous

Hello. I have Microsoft Office Pro 2000. Yes I do realise it's now 2023 but 'if it ain't broke why fix it?'. A relative had it with licenses for several users & gave me one. I'm not a working professional who needs the latest updates, and this suite of programmes usually works pretty well.

However, recently Excel has started acting weirdly. In Explorer and other programs which list my files, if I click on any excel file (ending .xls) then Excel opens, but instead of the correct file opening, it just opens Excel without any file. Sometimes it opens a .txt file instead such as blank.txt, with a window that says:

"File in Use

blank.txt is locked for editing by 'another user'. Click 'Notify' to open a read-only copy of the document and receive notification when the document is no longer in use." I am then given 3 options - Read Only, Notify, Cancel.

(I'm not sure if blank,txt was a file I created or not. I've deleted it now.)

The only way I now manage to open a .xls file is to use File - Open; I can right-click on the file, copy path, paste that into the File-Open filename window in Excel. However it does open normally the 9 recently used files that display when I hit the file menu.

In "Choose Default Applications by File Type" .xls is set to open in Mirosoft Excel. And indeed, when I click on any .xls file, it does open Excel, but the actual file I need doesn't open.

I just deleted Microsoft Office and then reinstalled it. But the problem remains.

I'm using Windows 10 with desktop with plenty of space and 8GB DDR RAM. The computer is regularly scanned for viruses.

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2 answers

Answer 1

Hi Leonielhou

Thank you

A newly created file sems to behave the same as older ones. Clicking on it (or pressing Enter) either opens Excel, or brings me to a previously opened Excel page. But using "File" I can then use the shortcut for the last 9 recently used files, that works.

I said above, (but I have just corrected a typo) In "Choose Default Applications by File Type" .xls is set to open in Microsoft Excel. And indeed, when I click on any .xls file, it does open Excel, but the actual file I need doesn't open.

Under "Default Programs" the choices are "Set your default programs", "Associate a file type or protocol with a program", "Change AutoPlay settings" and "Set program access and computer defaults" I use the last one, and then hit "Choose Default Applications by File Type"

Regards

Richard

Answer 2

Hello, I am Leonielhou, an Independent Advisor and a user like you, I am happy to help clarify any questions you may have.

Does happen to newly created Excel files too? If not, your files may be corrupted.

But kindly try to reset the file associations for .xls files:

Go to Control Panel > Programs > Default Programs. Click on "Set Associations". Scroll down the list of file types and find the .xls file type. Click on the "Change program" button and select Microsoft Excel from the list of programs.