Sometimes one of these works when you're having trouble with double clicking on
the file in windows explorer:

Tools|Options|General|Uncheck "Ignore other applications"
(xl2003 menus)

or
Office Button|Excel Options|Advanced|General|Uncheck "Ignore other applications"

--- or ---

Close Excel and
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /unregserver
then
Windows Start Button|Run
excel /regserver

The /unregserver & /regserver stuff resets some of the windows registry to
excel's factory defaults.

=============
If that fails, you can always save the attachment and then use File|Open (or
xl2007's equivalent) to open that file.

GEORGIA wrote:

Hi,

Whenever I open a file from outlook via link or an attachment, the files
open in different window (instance). When this happen, I cannot use my
ctrl+tab to switch between different files or when I do vlookup between 2
different files, it will not work. How do I go about fixing this?

Thanks!

--

Dave Peterson