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 Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:25:02 -0700, Paul Caldarone
wrote:

I can't open xls file using my documents. massage states: can't find file,
check info and try again. File will open if I open Excel first and then it
will open my file.

"Mike" wrote:

From windows explorer, when I open an XLS file, it opens a new instance of
Excel. I'd like ot have it so all the XLS files I open are in the same
instance of Excel. This used to work this way but I just got a new laptop
and an upgrade to Office 2003. How do I change Excel to get this behavior?

Thanks!