Save As Type: Microsoft Office Excel Workbook (*.xls)
in the file|SaveAs dialog.
If you're doing this ok, but each time you double click on that *.xls file, it
opens in Notepad (but it looks all Greek), then it's just a windows setting.
This might work to fix that association:
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.
This made us think; so, when pulling down to open with, instead of choosing
Excel, we pulled clear down to choose application, chose Excel and checked
"Always open ... with... " Now all is fine. Never thought to do this since
Excel was always staring right at us. Problem solved, thanks, Dave.