For some reason, none of my Excel 2003 files will open when I double-click
them from a folder or desktop shortcut - the only way I can open a file is to
start Excel, click open and browse for the file I want.

As a side note, I was recently attempting to get my workbooks to open in
separate windows as opposed to multiple files open under the same heading -
i.e. I wanted each file to have it's own toolabar, etc. After reading several
discussion posts, I tried clicking ToolsOptionsViewchecking "Windows in
Taskbar" and ToolsOptionsGeneralchecking "Ignore other Applications". I
also went to WindowArrange and tried checking horizontally or vertically,
although this did not give the result I wanted, since it simply put the
workbooks horizontally or vertically in one window instead of distinct
windows. However, after closing down Excel and reopening it, the files are
now in distinct windows, but this problem of opening files has arisen - the
above changes are the only ones I've made recently, so I was wondering if any
of those could be the problem or if there is another solution.

You want each workbook to open in its own instance of Excel when you
double-click on a filename?

StartRun

"c:\program files\microsoft office\office11\excel.exe" /unregserver

Then open Excel and ToolsOptionsView "Windows in Taskbar"

BUT...........the only way to get unique Toolbars for each instance is to
create them when a particular workbook opens.

Each instance of Excel uses the same Excel11.xlb file which is the file
where Toolbar and Menu customizations are stored.

So..........if the only reason you want separate instances of Excel is to
get unique Toolbar and menu customizations, you are going in the wrong
direction.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP


On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 11:26:01 -0700, Ria
wrote:

For some reason, none of my Excel 2003 files will open when I double-click
them from a folder or desktop shortcut - the only way I can open a file is to
start Excel, click open and browse for the file I want.

As a side note, I was recently attempting to get my workbooks to open in
separate windows as opposed to multiple files open under the same heading -
i.e. I wanted each file to have it's own toolabar, etc. After reading several
discussion posts, I tried clicking ToolsOptionsViewchecking "Windows in
Taskbar" and ToolsOptionsGeneralchecking "Ignore other Applications". I
also went to WindowArrange and tried checking horizontally or vertically,
although this did not give the result I wanted, since it simply put the
workbooks horizontally or vertically in one window instead of distinct
windows. However, after closing down Excel and reopening it, the files are
now in distinct windows, but this problem of opening files has arisen - the
above changes are the only ones I've made recently, so I was wondering if any
of those could be the problem or if there is another solution.