The standard fixes for this problem.......

ToolsOptionsGeneral uncheck "Ignore other Applications"
Exit Excel and try again

If this doesn't work try to re-register Excel

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"(no quotes)OK.

One more thing to try if any of the above brings no joy.........

Go to StartSettingsFolderOptionsFile Types. Scroll down to MS Excel
Worksheet. Then if running Win98 OS Edit select "Open" and Edit.

If using WinXP OS you would scroll down to .XLS then "Advanced"OpenEdit.

In Command line the path should be similar to this....

"C:\PROGRAM FILES\MICROSOFT OFFICE\OFFICE\EXCEL.EXE" /e (delete the <sp/e if
you want Book1 to open.

You must have the double quotes.

Below have "use DDE" checked and this in the DDE message box....[open("%1")]

Application should read "Excel"(no quotes)


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 13:57:02 -0800, "ConfusedNHouston"
wrote:

Frank I appreciate the suggestion, but the Ignore other applications is not
checked. Anything else it might be?

"Frank Kabel" wrote:

Hi
try: 'Tools - Options - General' and uncheck 'Ignore other applications'

--
Regards
Frank Kabel
Frankfurt, Germany
"ConfusedNHouston" schrieb im
Newsbeitrag ...
The title's misleading but I couldn't find a way to express it succinctly.
If I have 2 Excel windows open, with one or more workbooks within each
window, and I click on an Excel file-name in Windows Explorer or on a
shortcut to an Excel file-name, nothing happens. If I close both Excel
windows and try it, the file will open. Or if I go to Files, Open, and
Browse to the file name it will open. This is both new and a pain in the
rear. As recently as 3 months ago I could open six or eight Excel files
at
the blink of an eye, from Windows Explorer or from shortcuts. What
changed?
How can I change it back to the way it was?

Thanks "ConfusdNHouston"