When I try to save a user-defined chart in Excel 2003 I get this
error: "Microsoft Excel cannot save the user-defined chart because
the chart gallery file is currently in use or does not exist. Click
OK, and then change the gallery file name or location before you
save."

Then it opens a Save dialog that tries to save the worksheet I created
the chart in, which goes nowhere.

I do not have any xlusrgal.xls file on my PC, but Excel is convinced I
have one, and that it is open and busy, thank you, whenever I want to
save a chart.

I have tried creating my own xlusrgal.xls file and putting it in the
right location (C:\Documents and Settings\accountname\Application Data
\Microsoft\Excel) but this does not fool Excel.

I have done a couple of Excel Repairs, have uploades Service Pack 3,
etc., but to no avail.

Interestingly, the exact same functionality works perfectly in
Microsoft Graph in PowerPoint, which uses the same Chart Type...
dialog as Excel, but saves the chart in a file called GRUSRGAL.GRA.

I have found very little documentation of this problem, and no
solution, in Groups or anywhere else. A few people have written in
about it over the years (the problem appears to go back at least to
Excel 2000, if not 97), but no fixes have been offered.

I have a very recent fresh install of Office on a new computer and do
not think this functionality has ever worked properly, but perhaps I
corrupted some file along the way.

Any help on this would be most appreciated.