If your friend is seeing two x's in the top right corner, maybe one is for the
application window and one is for the worksheet window.

It sounds like he is closing the worksheet window. Maybe just maximizing that
window would look more familiar to him.

Blair wrote:

I have now had this reply from my friend

"Due to the help from Dave Paterson I have achieved part success where he
pointed out that two X's will appear in the top-right corner - one below the
normal one - and I am able to delete the second one as he suggested. The
screen then goes blank but I can recall the file from the bottom toolbar. I
don't know what it really does as the same thing still happens every time I
open My Documents but it at least gets rid of the mystery 'other' file when
the file is opened.

I tried Dave Paterson's main suggestion to help solve the problem but when I
followed his directions I failed to complete the final part of his coded
instruction where a 'regserver' entry was required and I tried all sorts of
answers for that but without success."

Could you solve what his problem is ? I think he may mean regressive?
Blair

"Dave Peterson" wrote in message
...
Maybe this from Debra Dalgleish's site will help:
http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#AlreadyOpen

Blair wrote:

A friend has a problem. When he wants to open a file in Excel he finds
the
file already open with a message which says the file cannot be opened as
it
is already open.
I have tried to simulate this condition on my own PC but failed to do
so.
Can anyone explain what is happening and how to stop it?
Blair

--

Dave Peterson

--

Dave Peterson