There are frequent cases among Microsoft Office users when a file does not open in Excel. There can be many reasons for this - from problems with the file itself, to problems with the program and operating system. The main reasons are presented below.
Compatibility issue
Actual for those who still use the old MS Office 2003 package, which supports the now obsolete * .xls files. Starting with MS Office 2007, a new, more advanced file format for Excel workbooks was introduced - * .xlsx.
Users of more modern office suites, such as MS Office 2013 or 2016, have nothing to worry about. These versions without any problems open both * .xlsx and * .xls files, they are also more stable in operation than their predecessors.
If it is necessary to open the “new” * .xlsx in old Excel 2003, this is solved by saving the given file in the * .xls format again or by installing a special program that will allow older packages to open new file formats.
DDE parameters
Double-clicking on the * .xls file opens Excel with a blank window and the message: "Error sending the command to the application." When you click on the same file again or open through the "Open" mode, it opens.
This is not a mistake or problem and is configured by checking the box and will be very annoying when you have to open files often.
To disable this function, go to: “File” - “Excel Options” - “Advanced”, find in the window the item “Ignore DDE requests from other applications” and uncheck the box.
Lack of matching
Another option why the Excel file does not open is matching.
When installing the Windows office suite, it understands this and automatically selects MS Excel to open its corresponding files. However, in rare cases, something may go wrong and the operating system will have to manually show which program to open the desired file.
The easiest way to set the file to default program from the file itself. To do this, do the following:
- Right-click on this file.
- Highlight the option “Open with”, press “Select another application”.
- In the window that appears, select "Excel" from the list, check the box below and click OK.
If there is no Excel in the list that appears, specify the path to it manually: C: \ ProgramFiles \ MicrosoftOffice \ Office16 \ Excel.exe, selecting the bottom line of the window that appears.
For each new file, you must do this operation. But once, adding a mapping for Excel, it appears in the list of applications, and you no longer need to specify the path manually.
Add-ons
Also, one of the options because of which the file does not open in Excel may be a conflict of plug-ins - add-ons. They are designed to expand the basic capabilities and ordinary users are practically not needed.
However, they can conflict with each other and disrupt Excel. In this case, you should turn them off and make sure that they are the reason why the file does not open in Excel. To do this, go: "File" - "Excel Options" - "Add-ons." At the bottom there will be a drop-down list "Management". Set "COM Add-ins" in it and click "Go." In the window that appears, uncheck all the boxes, save the changes.
If the problem is resolved, and add-ons are needed, you can enable them individually until you find the spoiled one.
File corruption
If the file is damaged, when it is opened, a message usually appears with a suggestion for restoration. You can also do this manually: “File” - “Open” - indicate the location of the file and instead of the usual opening, press the down arrow and select “Open and Restore”.
If Excel still does not open the file, you can try to “play around” with the recovery points there. If you can extract something, save it to a separate file each time, since it is easier to compare than to recreate it!
Rollback and reinstall
If Excel files open for a very long time and there are no obvious reasons for this, the program may have been corrupted by viruses. In this case, you can roll back through the official server or reinstall Excel.
To do this, right-click on the "Start" menu and select "Programs and Features." We find Microsoft Office and for rollback we click "Change", then "Restore". To reinstall, click "Delete"
Finally
We hope that this article has helped you solve the problem. If the above methods did not help you, then the reason may be hidden in your operating system, or even in the very stuffing of the computer. In this case, we strongly recommend contacting Microsoft support, where specialists will help you solve the problem.