Try the usual fix for this.

ToolsOptionsGeneral Uncheck "Ignore Other Applications"

If no joy with that................

Close Excel first and On the Windows Taskbar

1) StartRun "excel.exe /unregserver"(no quotes)OK.
2) StartRun "excel.exe /regserver"(no quotes)OK.

See the space between exe and /regserver

You might have to designate a full path to excel.exe.

In that case StartRun "C:\yourpath\excel.exe" /regserver(quotes required)OK.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP


On Sat, 19 Jan 2008 17:16:00 -0800, FSt1 wrote:

hi
if you can sitll open by selecting fiileopen then excel is not your
problem. post in windows explorer.
I don't know what the problem is but i do know that various versions of
windows were a tad bit more squirrelier that other versions concerning this
issue. i always open files throught the application and avoid the problem
altogeather. of cource this may put a damper on the way you have gotten use
to doing things. sorry.

regards
FSt1

"Mike H." wrote:

My MS Apps all-of-a-sudden will not allow files to be open from windows
explorer. For example, when I double-click a .xls or .doc file to open them,
a new instance of excel or word opens and the application hangs and the file
won't open. Any idea what caused this and how to fix it? I can still open
by selecting fileopen from the application itself and everything is fine.