Problems opening Excel 2007

emmarichardson · 09-05-2007, 06:27 AM

Excel randomly will not open correctly. Instead of the ribbon at the top, there is just the zoom control. This happens often and it does not matter if I am opening a file or just trying to the open the program. I have seen other posts with the same problem on other sites but no solution. Has anyone been able to fix this? I am running Vista Business.

Zazula · 09-05-2007, 07:41 AM

Maybe the toolbar file (Excel12.xlb) and/or the Quick Access Toolbar file (Excel12.qat) for your Excel 2007 became corrupted.

1. With Excel 2007 NOT running, locate the Excel12.xlb and the Excel12.qat files.
__• By default, the Excel12.xlb file is located in the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel
__• By default, the Excel12.qat file in Vista is located in the following folder: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office

2. Right-click the Excel12.xlb file and the Excel12.qat file, and then click Rename.

3. Type Excel12.xlb.old and Excel12.qat.old respectively, and then press ENTER.

4. Start Excel 2007 so that it rebuilds those two files.

emmarichardson · 09-07-2007, 07:01 AM

Thanks but I tried that already and no luck. I have also done a repair of Office - still no change. I have taken out all the Excel addins. Not sure what to try next. I am nervous about uninstalling and reinstalling due to issues with programs opening after the reinstall but I suppose I will try that next.

Zazula · 09-07-2007, 08:52 AM

So, now your Excel 2007 runs with no add-ins installed at all? You can then try resetting its Registry settings. To do so, remove the following registry keys:
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel

Moreover, at the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Toolbars\Settings key, delete the Microsoft Office Excel value.

The registry keys are re-created after you restart Excel and then exit Excel. (Any customized user settings of yours may be reset when you remove these registry keys.)

emmarichardson · 09-07-2007, 09:05 AM

I should state that I have no active addins - there are a bunch of addins under the inactive addins list - will this be a problem for deleting the registry keys?

Zazula · 09-07-2007, 09:59 AM

I believe the add-ins are not affected by this deletion - only your customized user settings.

emmarichardson · 09-07-2007, 03:15 PM

Ok - I tried the registry keys. Then I did a system restore to before the Office repair and that definitely made it worse. I did another Office repair which seems to cut down on the occurrence of the issue but did not stop it. I then totally uninstalled and reinstalled Office. It is not happening as often but still happening from time to time. Very frustrating.

Zazula · 09-07-2007, 03:28 PM

I don't think it's an Office problem, for the first Repair you had attempted would have cured the issue. (I don't see the reason you System Restored to the time before the Registry keys deletion, though). Anyhow, my guess is it's a conflict/interference from another program which interacts with Excel 2007 (e.g. add-on). Run Excel 2007 in Safe Mode, and see if there is at least one occurence of the erratic behavior. To do so, run (if the installation is at the default place):
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Excel.exe" /s

emmarichardson · 09-08-2007, 08:29 PM

The system restore was a separate issue. I agree, that Excel is probably interacting with another program or driver - I have always been able to open in safe mode. However, this is not just my problem - there are a lot of people out there with the exact same issue so it would appear to be something that Microsoft needs to find a patch for. THere were several office updates today - I can only hope that maybe one of them might contain a fix for this.

09-05-2007, 06:27 AM	#1 (permalink)
emmarichardson Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	Problems opening Excel 2007 Excel randomly will not open correctly. Instead of the ribbon at the top, there is just the zoom control. This happens often and it does not matter if I am opening a file or just trying to the open the program. I have seen other posts with the same problem on other sites but no solution. Has anyone been able to fix this? I am running Vista Business.

09-05-2007, 07:41 AM	#2 (permalink)
Zazula Manager Emeritus, I'm blond, James Blond Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 7,667 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 Maybe the toolbar file (Excel12.xlb) and/or the Quick Access Toolbar file (Excel12.qat) for your Excel 2007 became corrupted. 1. With Excel 2007 NOT running, locate the Excel12.xlb and the Excel12.qat files. __• By default, the Excel12.xlb file is located in the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel __• By default, the Excel12.qat file in Vista is located in the following folder: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Office 2. Right-click the Excel12.xlb file and the Excel12.qat file, and then click Rename. 3. Type Excel12.xlb.old and Excel12.qat.old respectively, and then press ENTER. 4. Start Excel 2007 so that it rebuilds those two files. __________________ "Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC) "Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC) "One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC) Last edited by Zazula; 09-05-2007 at 07:43 AM.

09-07-2007, 07:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
emmarichardson Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 Thanks but I tried that already and no luck. I have also done a repair of Office - still no change. I have taken out all the Excel addins. Not sure what to try next. I am nervous about uninstalling and reinstalling due to issues with programs opening after the reinstall but I suppose I will try that next.

09-07-2007, 08:52 AM	#4 (permalink)
Zazula Manager Emeritus, I'm blond, James Blond Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 7,667 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 So, now your Excel 2007 runs with no add-ins installed at all? You can then try resetting its Registry settings. To do so, remove the following registry keys: • HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel Moreover, at the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Common\Toolbars\Settings key, delete the Microsoft Office Excel value. The registry keys are re-created after you restart Excel and then exit Excel. (Any customized user settings of yours may be reset when you remove these registry keys.) __________________ "Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC) "Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC) "One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC)

09-07-2007, 09:05 AM	#5 (permalink)
emmarichardson Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 I should state that I have no active addins - there are a bunch of addins under the inactive addins list - will this be a problem for deleting the registry keys?

09-07-2007, 09:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
Zazula Manager Emeritus, I'm blond, James Blond Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 7,667 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 I believe the add-ins are not affected by this deletion - only your customized user settings. __________________ "Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC) "Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC) "One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC)

09-07-2007, 03:15 PM	#7 (permalink)
emmarichardson Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 Ok - I tried the registry keys. Then I did a system restore to before the Office repair and that definitely made it worse. I did another Office repair which seems to cut down on the occurrence of the issue but did not stop it. I then totally uninstalled and reinstalled Office. It is not happening as often but still happening from time to time. Very frustrating.

09-07-2007, 03:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
Zazula Manager Emeritus, I'm blond, James Blond Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 7,667 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 I don't think it's an Office problem, for the first Repair you had attempted would have cured the issue. (I don't see the reason you System Restored to the time before the Registry keys deletion, though). Anyhow, my guess is it's a conflict/interference from another program which interacts with Excel 2007 (e.g. add-on). Run Excel 2007 in Safe Mode, and see if there is at least one occurence of the erratic behavior. To do so, run (if the installation is at the default place): "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Excel.exe" /s __________________ "Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC) "Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC) "One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC)

09-08-2007, 08:29 PM	#9 (permalink)
emmarichardson Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 6 OS: Vista	Re: Problems opening Excel 2007 The system restore was a separate issue. I agree, that Excel is probably interacting with another program or driver - I have always been able to open in safe mode. However, this is not just my problem - there are a lot of people out there with the exact same issue so it would appear to be something that Microsoft needs to find a patch for. THere were several office updates today - I can only hope that maybe one of them might contain a fix for this.