I'd do my best to not let MSIE open the file:

How to Configure Internet Explorer to Open Office
Documents in the Appropriate Office Program Instead of in Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=162059

Bob wrote:

Set up a link to a spreadsheet from a web page but when the window opens it
seems to only open a viewer ie it lacks the toolbar & therefore the facility
to save etc. At present I'm just working locally so it shouldn't be the
firewall that's blocking things. Can I resolve this??

Any help welcome.

--

Dave Peterson