Excel Crash - a totally different one..

[OlaS]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Hi,
I did obviously write in an erroneus thread - here is my crash indication once more - in a new thread. I have the following configuration:
Macbook 13,3", early 2009
Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.1
MacOffice 2008 enterprise, ver 12.2.1
The symptoms are that I can't boot excel, nor by starting it via the dock, neither by clicking a file. It instantly crashes. By holding down shift throughout the entire startup of excel I can start the program. After that it is no problem opening and editing and saving files as long as excel runs.
The problem may have started after viewing and editing an excel file with an OH-projector about 2 weeks ago, with screen settings as "extended desktop", but I'm not sure, I have seen other reports about multi screen theorys connected to this type of error, though.

I have made the following steps to try to solve the problem:
I did uninstall macoffice, and tried to find all folders that contain Microsoft related files, e.g. in /home/library, home/library/application support, /library, library/application support. There is obviously more files hidden in the system, since I don't need to enter my license key when re-installing…
Before reinstalling I have been refreshing the system with Onyx, and as a consequence of that I have been needed to run disc tool from Mac OS X install DVD (repair disk and restore disk rights). I have been running FontDoctor in order to repair the font database.
I do not perform a standard install since I exclude Messenger, Entourage and all spelling support except for swedish.
The problem remains as described above.
Crash report has been sent in for a couple of hundred times (no - sorry - only about 30 i guess.. ) .
I can attach one here if somebody wants..

Regards
Ola

 

[AlexRob]

This is the exact same problem I have. Holding shift works too. I use a external monitor on my mac most of the time. But I still get the error when working without the screen. Curiously it works when using a different user. I have reinstalled snow leopard too.



the only thing I have noticed is when it shows the loading screen for excel it doesn't appear to load the files. On the other user I see the files being accessed the excel flash screen.

 

[John McGhie]

For both of you, I suspect "Bad User Preferences".

Holding down the shift key is diagnostic: it disables the preferences.
Starting in a different user is diagnostic: it ignores the bad preferences.

Delete com.microsoft.Excel.plist from ~/Library/Preferences/

Delete ~/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Office 2008 (the whole folder!)

Restart the machine and see if that fixes it.

This kind of issue is often caused by migrating or restoring preferences
from a previous OS. The preferences are specific to the OS and system they
were created on, if you restore or migrate from a different installation,
you get these issues.

Cheers

This is the exact same problem I have. Holding shift works too. I use a
external monitor on my mac most of the time. But I still get the error when
working without the screen. Curiously it works when using a different user. I
have reinstalled snow leopard too.



the only thing I have noticed is when it shows the loading screen for excel it
doesn't appear to load the files. On the other user I see the files being
accessed the excel flash screen.

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[OlaS]

Hi all,
This suggestion solved my issue!
Excel now starts flawlessly (after a very brief testing...). And of course, why don't I ever learn to search for the right things from the beginning...?

Thanks a lot, this makes my hair-graying slow down a little bit...

Regards
Ola

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Hi all,
This suggestion solved my issue!
Excel now starts flawlessly (after a very brief testing...). And of course,
why don't I ever learn to search for the right things from the beginning...?

Thanks a lot, this makes my hair-graying slow down a little bit...

Regards
Ola

And, just to add my 2 cents: I use a Macbook Pro with an external monitor. I
move Excel windows and the formatting palette all over the place, and have
never had a problem, with either using the macBook on it own away from the
external monitor, or back at the desk plugged in.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Ola:

Sadly, the fix I gave you is a terrible "shotgun approach" that could
potentially cause a lot of damage.

In Office 2008, it won't, because the Preference files don't currently store
anything you couldn't re-create in a moment with a couple of clicks.

For example, you might notice that your display preferences have gone back
to standard. But if you hadn't changed them from standard in the first
place, so you wouldn't see a difference

Cheers

Hi all,
This suggestion solved my issue!
Excel now starts flawlessly (after a very brief testing...). And of course,
why don't I ever learn to search for the right things from the beginning...?

Thanks a lot, this makes my hair-graying slow down a little bit...

Regards
Ola

--

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]