I'd try letting excel change the association.

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.

EASC wrote:

when I try to open my excel spreadsheets, they open in Notepad and are
scrambled. I have tried to change associated program unseccessfully.

--

Dave Peterson