Double-click no longer opens file

W

winidgit

Suddenly, I've lost the capacity to simply "double-click" on an Office
related file and actually "open" that file in the associated application.
If I "double-click" on an ".xls" file, Excel opens but does not display the
file I "opened".
Same thing with a ".doc" file - Word opens but no file is displayed.
Initially, this was happening with ALL files "associated" with any "internal
app", but by "looking around" I was able to "reset" some things in Windows so
now I CAN open files that are 'intrinsic' to Windows (IE: wordpad will open
an associated file and display it in that application - however, I still do
not have the ability to
associate "notepad" with anything - it simply isn't "on the list" any more
which is no doubt a failure somewhere of notepad being "registered" with
Windows now...)
However, all file types associated with MS Office 2003 Pro will NOT open in
the associated application when I "double-click" on it.
The app opens but no file is displayed...
God, this is frustrating....
I guess next I'll fully un-install Office and re-install it - and just hope
things return to "normal"....
 
B

Beth Melton

You can recreate the file associations using these commands at
Start/Run:

winword /r
excel /regserver
powerpnt /regserver
msaccess /regserver

Note the space before the forward slash.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/
 
W

winidgit

Thanks for the input, Beth, but unfortunately, this hasn't helped.
I've been able to restore all the "associations" so that all applications
now function with a "double-click", with the exception of Excel - and,
naturally, this is what I use most....
I've even tried un-installing Excel for the Office Suite and re-installing
but this hasn't helped either.

Of some note: when I right-click on an .xls file and choose "Properties"
and then change the "Open With..." to Excel (even tho it is already
associated with Excel), when I then "double-click" this file again, Windows
gives me an error messaage saying: "cannot find C:\Documents and
Settings\Bill\My Documents\Business folder\ARQ4_2005.xls" (or whichever file
I've just tried to open). Its almost as if when I try to "double-click",
Windows instantaneously "loses" the "path" to the very explorer window that
is open.
Which is truly bizarrre...
Windows gives me this error message only one time - when I first
"re-associate" any ".xls" file with Excel - but the next time I
"double-click" this same file, Excel opens with no error message but doesn't
even open a "blank" spreadsheet - it's simply a gray background with the
"default" toolbars.
At this point, when Excel is open, I CAN then go to "FILE-OPEN-(file name)
and the file opens with no hesitation - but I cannot "double-click" any .xls
file type and expect it to open inside of Excel - even if Excel is already
running.
Seemingly, for right now, I MUST use the "FILE-OPEN-(etc...) method to open
any Excel spreadsheet.
I've done multiple virus scans and "spyware" scans using both a newly
installed Norton Internet Security 2006 and two "online scans" from two
different vendors and all come up "clean".
This is obviously some sort of "registry corruption" that is preventing me
from double-clicking on a spreadsheet file from anywhere within my PC and
actually "opening" the file inside Excel.
 
W

winidgit

Finally an answer....
This software is installed on a Dell laptop - I contacted Dell Service and
Support (chat) and they had me do the following:

START-RUN-EXCEL /SAFE
Perform a "Detect and Repair"
Close Excel for repair....
Reset all shorcuts and customizations....
Five minutes later after extensive re-loading, "Repair complete"
Now, all is working as per advertisements....
 
B

Beth Melton

Glad to hear you have the problem resolved. :)

Should this ever happen again, try deleting the Excel file type first.
Use the Windows Explorer, select Tools/Folder Options and on the File
Types tab locate Microsoft Office Excel Workbook (XLS) and then run
the Excel /regserver command again.

I've found recreating the file type for Excel can be difficult at
times and you need to delete it first.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/
 
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