The first thing I'd try...

Sometimes one of these works when you're having trouble with double clicking on
the file in windows explorer:

Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)

--- or ---

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.

If neither of them worked, then I think I'd use the task scheduler to start a
..vbs script that does what I want. It could find an already running instance of
excel or start a new one if excel isn't running.

Something like this:
'------------------
dim myXL
dim myWkbk
Dim XLWasRunning

xlwasrunning = true
On Error Resume Next
Set myXL = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
If Err.Number = 429 Then
set myXL = createobject("excel.application")
xlwasrunning = false
end If
on error goto 0

myxl.visible = true 'nice for testing

set mywkbk = myxl.workbooks.open("C:\my documents\excel\book1.xls")
mywkbk.worksheets(1).range("a1").value = "Changed from VBS"
mywkbk.close true 'or false to not save changes

if xlwasrunning = false then
myxl.quit
end if

set mywkbk = nothing
Set myxl = nothing

'-------------------

Save it as a NiceName.VBS



Carl wrote:

I am using the Task Scheduler to open an Excel file at timed intervals. The
problem is the Task Scheduler always opens a new session of Excel even when
Excel is already running. Is there any way to get the Task Scheduler to use
the current session of Excel to open the file if Excel is already running?
Thanks in advance.

--

Dave Peterson