Dave

I believe OP wants "New" to be the default, which when double-click on an
*.XLT file will open Excel with Document1.xls loaded.

If "Open" is default, the Template.xlt will open.


Gord

On Wed, 07 Dec 2005 15:26:32 -0600, Dave Peterson
wrote:

Saved from a previous post:
===========================

Are you opening a template file (*.xlt) or a normal workbook file (*.xls)?

If you're opening a template file, then this is the way excel works--so you
don't overwrite that template.

If you're opening an excel file, then excel/windows is confused.

It sounds like windows is using New as the default action when you doubleclick
on the filename in windows explorer.

If you right click on a *.xls file, you'll see a bunch of options--one will be
Open and one will be New. Open should be the bold (default) one.

I bet you'll see New in bold.

If that's the case, you can try this:

Close Excel and
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

The /unregserver & /regserver stuff resets the windows registry to excel's
factory defaults.

Now try double clicking on that filename.

Did it work ok?

If yes, woohoo!

If no, you could manually change the default action.

Close excel
start windows explorer
tools|folder options|file types tab
scroll down to the xls extension (microsoft excel worksheet)
click the advanced button
click on the Open item in the Actions box
click set as default
(ok your way out)


==========================
MSWord has the same flags:

Close MSWord
Windows Start Button|Run
winword /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
winword /regserver

(or do that other stuff if this doesn't help.)

Kord wrote:

Somehow I have changed a default setting that I cannot figure out how to
change back. I have various templates setup in a "Forms" folder. Normally I
go to My Documents, find the template file and double click on it, and the
appropiate program (usually either Excel or Word) starts and opens a copy of
the template as a document. What happens now is that the program starts and
the template itself opens. I have tried going to My Documents and right
clicking on the file and what appears to be happening is that the default
(highlighted) option is "Open" instead of "New" which is what the default
used to be. How do I change it back?--
Kord