the first method that normally works is go to a window explorer (right click
start and select explorer)

menu Tools - Folder options - File Types

find the excel type like XLS and select

Advance - Set to Default





"Pedrito" wrote:

If I try and open a XLS file from a folder on my desktop by double clicking
it an error comes up saying

the file name and then "is not a valid Win32 application"

If I open Excel and then open the file from within Excel it opens fine.

Please help as this is very irritaiting

Thanks