Excel 2007 crashes after viewing property sheet in Data Connection

[Fritz]

I have been using Excel 2007 to import comma delimited text (csv) files
stored on my local hard disk into my personal finance spreadsheet. The
Data>Get External Data>From Text wizard works fine and have had no trouble
using the Refresh function. The problem comes from accessing a Connection
Properties Box from the Data>Connections Box. If I select OK after viewing
the Properties Box, Excel crashes, restarts, and offers to let me continue
working on a repaired worksheet. This behavior occurs even when no changes
are made in the Properties Box. If I select Cancel, Excel exits the
Properties Box normally. This behavior also occurs in a clean workbook with
no data other than an imported text file.

This behavior is not a fatal flaw since there are other ways to access and
change the property data, however, such behavior is not acceptable in a
Microsoft Product which has been around for about 20 years. Is this a bug in
a new release of the product or a problem with the installation on my
computer? I am using Office 2007 Home and Student Trial Edition on a WinXP
Pro SP2 system. To preserve file portability I am opening and saving
worksheets in the .xls format using the Excel 2007 compatibility mode.

Any comments on this behavior?

 

[Roger Govier]

Hi

I have not experienced any problems connecting to an external text file
with XL2007.
Maybe try renaming .csv to .txt, then telling the wizard that comma is
the separator will get around your problem.

 

[Fritz]

The wizard and refresh functions work fine with text files with either the
..csv or .txt extensions. The problem occurs in the following scenario:

1. Open a worksheet in Excel 2007 with external connections to one or more
text files with either a .csv or .txt extension.

2. Open the Workbooks Connections dialog box by selecting the Connections
button on the Data Ribbon.

3. Select a connection to an external text file and then select the
Properties button.

4. Close the resulting Properties dialog box by selecting OK.

5. On my system Excel will now crash.

Perhaps you or someone else could try duplicating this scenario. If Excel
does not crash then there is a problem with my system or with version of the
program installed on my computer.

 

[Roger Govier]

Hi

Just opened three separate connections to the same workbook, accessed
Parties from the open dialogue as you said, closed dialogue, no
problems.
I think it must be a problem with your system.
I regret, I cannot think what might be causing the problem.

 

[Roger Govier]

accessed Parties from the open dialogue as you said, closed dialogue,

no

Spell checkers!!!

should have been
accessed Properties

 

[Dave Peterson]

Not to say that the Access users don't throw wonderful parties...

<vbg>

 

[Roger Govier]

Yes, but I'm sure XL parties have more people on the CEILING and on the
FLOOR

 

[Dave Peterson]

It must be very, very late where you're sitting <vvbg>.

 

[Fritz]

Thank you for trying to help with this. The problem does not prevent me from
using the program, but the behavior is puzzling. Even if this is a problem
with my system, the program whould be robust enough not to crash without
giving an error report. I may try reinstalling the Office 2007 suite and
sending a comment about the problem to Microsoft.

 

[PackerBronco]

I think it must be a problem with your system.
I regret, I cannot think what might be causing the problem.

Hi, interjecting myself in this conversation because the exact same
problem is happening to me and I came here looking for an answer. I
create a connection to a text file. I then I go to the Connection
Properties dialog box for that connection. When I exit the Properties
dialog by clicking the OK button, Excel crashes.

There may be a workaround for this problem, but I'm writing a book on
Excel so I would like to have it work correctly. It's not so great for
students when you have to include a passage in your book that begins:
"Now after Excel crashes ..."


Patrick Carey

 

[Roger Govier]

Hi

As I responded to the OP, I cannot re-create the problem. It appears to
work fine on my copy of XL2007.
If you would like to mail me direct with a copy of your file, I will see
if it behaves in the same manner on my machine, and, if so I will try to
investigate why.

To send direct do the obvious thing with AT and remove NOSPAM from my
email address
roger AT technologyNOSPAM4u.co.uk

 

[diba]

Hi

As I responded to the OP, I cannot re-create the problem. It appears to
work fine on my copy of XL2007.
If you would like to mail me direct with a copy of your file, I will see
if it behaves in the same manner on my machine, and, if so I will try to
investigate why.

To send direct do the obvious thing with AT and remove NOSPAM from my
email address
roger AT technologyNOSPAM4u.co.uk
--
Regards

Roger Govier









- Show quoted text -

Hello - has anyone found a solution for this? I too have the exact
same problem happening on my XP SP2 machine with Excel 2007. I have
also encountered the same issue with Vista..."microsoft office excel
has encountered a problem and needs to close." On either machine, I
have no problems with Excel 2003. Thanks.
Diba

 

[Roger Govier]

Hi

Since my original posting, I have been able to re-create the problem
with Text files.
On the Data tab, if you go to Connections group then

Connections>Properties it will crash

If you go straight to Properties from the Connections Group, then it
doesn't crash.

This problem has been reported back to Microsoft.

 

[Ian Digby]

I (and many other users judging from Googling the problem), have the exact same issue in XL2007. It only occurs in the global "Conections" window. If you go to the sheet with the connection, then click "Properties", the crash doesn't happen. More work if you have multiple sheets connected though. Come on Microsoft - where's the fix? Dont' tell me - buy XL2010 and all will be well.

 

[Ian Digby]

I (and many other users judging from Googling the problem), have the exact same issue in XL2007. It only occurs in the global "Conections" window. If you go to the sheet with the connection, then click "Properties", the crash doesn't happen. More work if you have multiple sheets connected though. Come on Microsoft - where's the fix? Dont' tell me - buy XL2010 and all will be well.