I have a strange problem that has just started. I am running Windows XP
and Office XP. If I click on an Excel file in my folders in explorer, it
will open Excel and an error message comes up telling me it can't find the
file and to check the path and folder.

Once I click out of the message the file sometimes is already open.

I have no problems if I open Excel first then open a file - it is
driving me crazy, please help.

You probably have a messed up value in the Windows registry. Click the
'Start' button and then 'Run'. Type in
Excel.exe /RegServer
(Note, there is a space before the slash). Press Enter. Excel will start,
write registry values and quit. Now try double clicking an xls file.

On some systems, you may get an error with the procedure above where you're
advised Excel.exe can't be found. If that happens, write the command over
but include the full path to Excel.exe.

Steve Yandl


"Steve Taglianett" wrote in message
...
I have a strange problem that has just started. I am running Windows XP
and Office XP. If I click on an Excel file in my folders in explorer, it
will open Excel and an error message comes up telling me it can't find the
file and to check the path and folder.

Once I click out of the message the file sometimes is already open.

I have no problems if I open Excel first then open a file - it is
driving me crazy, please help.

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

Tools|Options|General|Ignore other applications (uncheck it)

--- or ---

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

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

Steve Taglianett wrote:

I have a strange problem that has just started. I am running Windows XP
and Office XP. If I click on an Excel file in my folders in explorer, it
will open Excel and an error message comes up telling me it can't find the
file and to check the path and folder.

Once I click out of the message the file sometimes is already open.

I have no problems if I open Excel first then open a file - it is
driving me crazy, please help.

--

Dave Peterson