try tools/options and on the general tab, uncheck "ignore other
applications"

--


Gary


"njvbguy" wrote in message
...
When I right click on a xls file from explorer to open a Excel file, the
application appears to open, but no worksheets are visible even though
none
are hidden and most of the menu's are also disabled. If I open excel using
the start menu and then use the File Open to select the file to open, then
everything is fine. This is extremley annoying. I called Microsoft, but
after
wasting 1 hour, I had to stop. I think I have a setting in Windows that
must
be messed up-if anybody knows about this, please help !!
--
nj vb guy in another business