Windows 7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet

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  1. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 home
       #1

    Windows 7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet


    Hi, I've got a similar problem. W7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet because it says it's already running. But it isnt. It's not shown in the task manager either. How can I find it and close it apart from rebooting?

    This came about after I copied the the spreadsheet from a backup copy on a USB onto the desktop.

    Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 9,746
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit sp1
       #2

    Check to see if you can "safely remove" the USB stick, by clicking on the little arrow on the RH edge of the task bar.

    The cause is probably that Windows has not cleared the USB stick for safe removal. Shutting down & restarting should clear the problem.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #3

    What version of Office are you working with?

    Have you tried the Office repair feature?

    What happens if you try to open Excel from the Start menu?
    (Not by double clicking on an Excel file.)

    Open Task Manager
    Select the tab named Processes
    Select the option to Show processes from all users
    Sort the list of processes by the column named Image Name

    Double click on any Excel file causing the problem.

    If the error occurs, do not close the error. Reposition it on the screen (if need be) and make/post a screenshot of the error that you see. Include as many processes as you can fit into the screenshot - highlighting the Excel process if it is running.

    If you are unsure what app is creating the message that tells you that Excel is already running, see this post.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 home
    Thread Starter
       #4

    UsernameIssues said:
    What version of Office are you working with?

    Have you tried the Office repair feature?

    What happens if you try to open Excel from the Start menu?
    (Not by double clicking on an Excel file.)

    Open Task Manager
    Select the tab named Processes
    Select the option to Show processes from all users
    Sort the list of processes by the column named Image Name

    Double click on any Excel file causing the problem.

    If the error occurs, do not close the error. Reposition it on the screen (if need be) and make/post a screenshot of the error that you see. Include as many processes as you can fit into the screenshot - highlighting the Excel process if it is running.

    If you are unsure what app is creating the message that tells you that Excel is already running, see this post.
    Thanks for your help. There isnt any process associated with Excel except when it's running which you would expect. End it and it disappears. Tried the repair and it didnt work. The same thing happens when I try opening it from the start menu. It doesnt work. I get the same message.

    Strangely if I just click on the Excel spreadsheet program itself and not on the specific spreadsheet I want it opens the spreadsheet I want without any problem. It's never done that before . Clicking on the program itself would normally open a blank spreadsheet.

    The version is 2003. Thanks again.
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  5. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 home
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Ranger4 said:
    Check to see if you can "safely remove" the USB stick, by clicking on the little arrow on the RH edge of the task bar.

    The cause is probably that Windows has not cleared the USB stick for safe removal. Shutting down & restarting should clear the problem.
    Thanks but there isnt any little arrow anywhere on my taskbar.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #6

    Ukdodger said:
    ~~~
    The same thing happens when I try opening it from the start menu. It doesnt work. I get the same message.
    ~~~
    If the Office repair process failed to correct the issue of you not being able to start Excel from the Start menu, then you might need to re-install Office 2003.

    Can you provide a screenshot of the error that you are seeing?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #7

    Ukdodger said:
    Ranger4 said:
    Check to see if you can "safely remove" the USB stick, by clicking on the little arrow on the RH edge of the task bar.

    The cause is probably that Windows has not cleared the USB stick for safe removal. Shutting down & restarting should clear the problem.
    Thanks but there isnt any little arrow anywhere on my taskbar.
    @Ranger4,
    I think that the file in question was copied to the desktop from a USB device. I do not think that the USB device is connected to the computer when the OP is attempting to open the file.

    @Ukdodger,
    Am I correct in my guess: the USB device is no longer connected. But now that you have mentioned that Excel will not start from the Start menu - we should concentrate on that first. The fact that Excel will start when double clicking on some spreadsheets but not others might be indicative that only a part of Excel is messed up - perhaps the startup.xls file or macro handling.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 9,746
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit sp1
       #8

    UsernameIssues said:
    Ukdodger said:
    Ranger4 said:
    Check to see if you can "safely remove" the USB stick, by clicking on the little arrow on the RH edge of the task bar.

    The cause is probably that Windows has not cleared the USB stick for safe removal. Shutting down & restarting should clear the problem.
    Thanks but there isnt any little arrow anywhere on my taskbar.
    @Ranger4,
    I think that the file in question was copied to the desktop from a USB device. I do not think that the USB device is connected to the computer when the OP is attempting to open the file.

    @Ukdodger,
    Am I correct in my guess: the USB device is no longer connected. But now that you have mentioned that Excel will not start from the Start menu - we should concentrate on that first. The fact that Excel will start when double clicking on some spreadsheets but not others might be indicative that only a part of Excel is messed up - perhaps the startup.xls file or macro handling.
    @UsernameIssues. Yes i think you are correct about the USB stick, I seemed to have assumed incorrectly.

    To Ukdodger, have you got service pack 3 update installed for your Office 2003?. Apparently some problems can occur with office 2003 & Windows 7 if service pack 3 is not installed.
    Last edited by Ranger4; 31 Dec 2013 at 19:48. Reason: more info
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 178
    Windows 7 home
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Thanks for the replies guys. I appreciate your help. Just to get straight what's happening: I'm running W7 and Excel 2003. I have two Excel icons. One on the Desktop that is for the unique spreadsheet I use for housekeeping accounts and named 'Housekeeping'. The other icon is on the Taskbar and is for the Excel program itself. If I right click on the Taskbar icon it pops up a list of spreadsheets to choose from. Left clicking on the 'Housekeeping' one opens the 'Housekeeping' spreadsheet with the error message shown in the screen shot. The same thing happens if I try opening Excel from the Start menu and too if I double click on the Desktop icon.

    However if I just left click on the Excel Taskbar icon (not on the 'housekeeping' spreadsheet that pops up after right clicking on the Taskbar icon) it opens the 'Housekeeping' spreadsheet without the error message. I can then work with the spreadsheet and it saves correctly.

    I dont know if I have Service pack 3. But I have a Laptop with exactly the same software on and the spreadsheet works perfectly.

      My Computer


  10. Posts : 10,485
    W7 Pro SP1 64bit
       #10

    Ukdodger said:
    ~~~
    ...it opens the 'Housekeeping' spreadsheet without the error message. I can then work with the spreadsheet and it saves correctly.
    ~~~
    What happens when you use Windows (file) Explorer to open Excel?
    Please navigate to here...
    "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE"
    (Or wherever your Excel is located.)
    ...and double click on the EXCEL.EXE file.

    Does a new/empty spreadsheet open?
    Or does the last spreadsheet that you worked on open?

    What do you see when you...
    ...right click on the pinned shortcut
    ...right click on the Excel shortcut
    ...select properties for that shortcut:

    Windows 7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet-xl.png


    Please post screenshots via this method:
    Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums


    To check for SP3:

    Windows 7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet-xl-about1.png

    without SP3
    Windows 7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet-xl-about-w-o-sp3.png

    with SP3
    Windows 7 wont allow me to open an Excel spreadsheet-xl-about-w-sp3.png
      My Computer


 
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