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Earlier today, I was in a meeting with a soon to be client. This client asked me a question about excel. She stated that she was having issues with Excel 2007.

They have a server where they keep excel documents at. Every time she opens the excel document by itself, the excel application opens however the document itself doesn't open.

Well, I am happy to say that I believe I know what her issue was. If you too are having this issue, attempt the following repair. There are 3 possible repairs for this issue. All 3 repairs are listed below.

Understanding the issue
Each excel document version and other programs that make .xls or .xlsx files utilze a function/programming called DDE or Dynamic Data Exchange.

Techinese Warning!!!
Dynamic Data Exchange was introduced in 1987 with the release of Windows 2.0. It used the "Windows Messaging Layer" functionality within Windows. This is the same system used by the "copy and paste" functionality. Therefore, DDE continues to work even in modern versions of Windows. Newer technology has been developed that has, to some extent, overshadowed DDE (e.g. OLE, COM, and OLE Automation), however, it is still used in several places inside Windows, e.g. for Shell file associations.

The primary function of DDE is to allow Windows applications to share data. For example, a cell in Microsoft Excel could be linked to a value in another application and when the value changed, it would be automatically updated in the Excel spreadsheet. The data communication was established by a simple, three-segment model. Each program was known to DDE by its "application" name. Each application could further organize information by groups known as "topic" and each topic could serve up individual pieces of data as an "item". For example, if a user wanted to pull a value from Microsoft Excel which was contained in a spreadsheet called "Book1.xls" in the cell in the first row and first column, the application would be "Excel", the topic "Book1.xls" and the item "r1c1".
End Techinese Warning!!!

Clarification for upcoming repair
For this repair I will be mentioning the word click. Whenever I say the word click, I will always mean a left click. If I want you to right click I will specify a right click. If I say double click I mean two left clicks.

First Possible Repair

1. Open Excel 2007

2. At the top left of the screen is the Office Logo. To the right of that is a quick launch bar. To the very right of that is a black tiny down arrow that is extremely difficult to see. This is the arrow that we want to work with. Click on that arrow. A drop down menu will appear

3. From the drop down menu from above click on the option "More Commands" almost all the way to the bottom; (3 from the bottom). This will bring up the Excel Options Window.

4. From the Excel Options Windows on the left hand side, click the option "Advanced". This will bring up the "Advanced Options for Working with Excel" Area on the right hand side.

5. Scroll Down in the Advanced Options Window to the "General" area. This is almost completely at the bottom.

6. In the general area find the checkbox "Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)". This is the box we want to work with.

7. Uncheck this box. Click OK.

That should repair that particular issue along with the same issue happening in Outlook where you can preview the excel file however it will not open.

Please Note:
This repair will not work for everyone. If this repair does not work for you, there is another repair that can be attempted at your own risk. This is unregistering and reregistering excel within the registry. This will restore default settings to excel's registry entries. I know this works for excel 2003 but not sure if it will work for excel 2007.

2nd Possible Repair

Step 1: Close Excel

Step 2: Hold the Windows Key on your keyboard down and push the R key one time. This will bring up the Run dialogue box.

Step 3: In the run dialogue box, type excel /unregserver and push enter on your keyboard. Excel may open. Close Excel.

Step 4: Hold the Windows Key on your keyboard down and push the R key one time. This, once again, will bring up the Run dialogue box.

Step 5: In the run dialogue box, type excel /regserver and push enter on your keyboard. Excel may open. Close Excel.

Step 6: Attempt to open your excel document.

If the 1st and 2nd method do not work, there is a 3rd and extremely technical method of repairing this issue. This also has to due with DDE, how excel is opening files within the file association.

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE WARNING!!
If you are not familiar with working with file associations, navigational pathways to programs, computer naviation or the basics of DDE then HIRE A PROFESSIONAL!!(In other words, if you did not understand what I stated above about DDE then you probably shouldn't be attempting this below). If you are unsure about the following repair contact Spectacular Computer Repair in the signature below for either professional advice or a professional repair.

3rd Possible Repair Techinese Style
See below this repair for the non technical terms repair
This step by step repair is for Windows XP.

Pre-requisite: Close out of the Microsoft Excel program and all files.

Step 1: Open up the file associations window

Step 2: Edit the Advanced section of XLS file extension

Step 3: Edit the Open portion

Step 4: Copy the following portion over to notepad; Application Used to Perform Action. This should look something like: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\EXCEL.EXE" /e & DDE Message. This should look something like: [%1]&[open] (or something similar). (We do this just in case this repair doesn't work for you. You will be able to copy it back)

Step 5: Verify Action is equal to &Open

Step 6: The Application used to perform action currently has something such as: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\EXCEL.EXE" /e in it right now. Add the following (including the space) to the end of it: "%1"

Step 7: Erase everything within the DDE Message

Step 8: Verify Application is equal to Excel

Step 9: Erase everything within the DDE Application Not Running

Step 10: Verify Topic is equal to system

Step 12: Click OK

Step 13: Click OK again

Step 14: Click Close

Step 15: Open that file within Excel. It should open just fine now.

Step 16: If Excel opens fine then you can close notepad and you are finished. If Excel doesn't open well anymore than copy the items from notepad back to where you took them from and you have a different issue or followed these instructions incorrectly.

Non technical terms version of repair for Windows XP

Step 1: Close the Microsoft Excel Program and all files contained within.

Step 2: Open up the file type associations window. This can be found by following these steps:

a. Click on Start. this will bring up the start menu.
b. Depending on how your start menu is set up either:
Click on My Computer.
OR
If My Computer is not shown, you can do the same thing through the control panel, move your mouse over the word Settings. This will bring up another menu to the right of where your mouse currently is. Now, click on Control Panel.
c. In either of the above scenarios for step b there is a menu bar at the top of the window that just opened. This says: File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, Help. We will be working with the Tools menu. Click on Tools. A drop down menu will appear.
d. From the menu options Click Folder Options. This will bring up the Folder Options window. There will be multiple tabs at the top of this window. One of the tabs says File Types. This is the tab we will be working with.
e. Once you have the fodler options window up, Click on the File Types tab. This will bring us into the Registered File Types portion of the window.

Step 3: Now that we are working within the Registered File Types portion of the Folder Options Window we can now start to repair this issue. There are a few things to be known about this before someone starts working in this.

a. There are two columns in the window we are working with. Extensions and File Types ar ethe names of those columns.
b. There is an Advanced Button in the lower right portion of this window above the Cancel and Apply Buttons.
c. We are going to be working with the Extensions Column and the Advanced Button.

Scroll down until you see XLS as a file extension. We are going to be working with this File Extension. Everything is in alphabetical order by file extension. Click on the XLS File Extension. This will highlight that line.

Step 4: Now that the XLS file extension has been highlighted, Click on the Advanced button. This will open the Edit File Type window.

Step 5: In the Edit File Type window, there is the ability to change the icon, edit actions such as New, Open, Print, Save As, Open as Read Only and Printto. We will be working with the Open action. Click on Open. This will highlight the Open action.

Step 6: Now that the Open action is higlighted, we are going to Click the Edit button to the right of the highlighted Open action in order to edit these Open Options. This will bring up the Editing action for type: Microsoft Office Exc... window. The last word is Excel however it is not spelled out.

Step 7: Now that we are in the Editing action for type: Microsoft Office Excel window there are a few items to verify. There are going to be either 3 or 7 (including the checkbox) options that we are working with and verifying. There should be 7 options. If there are only 3 (including the checkbox) that is not a problem, it merely means that you do not have the "Use DDE" checkbox checked.

Step 8: Verify the following items are set to:

a. Actions is equal to &Open
b. Applications used to perform action will look something like: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE12\EXCEL.EXE" /e add the following line at the end of the line including the space "%1"
c. Verify the Use DDE checkbox is checked
d. Erase everything out of the DDE Message:
e. Verify the Application is equal to Excel
g. Erase everything out of the DDE Application Not Running:
h. Verify the Topic: is equal to system

Step 9: Click OK. This will close the Editing action for type window while saving the changes you have just made.

Step 10: Click OK again. This will close the Edit File Type window.

Step 11: Click Close. This will close the File Type Window.

Step 12: Attempt to open your Excel File Now.

Start of Extreme Techinese Repair!!
DDE Message: <blank - clear this field if there is something here>
Application: Excel
DDE Application Not Running: <blank - clear this field if there is something here>
Topic: System
Also, verify that the "Application use to perform action:" is set to something similar to: (The OFFICE11 will change)
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e "%1"

The quotes around the %1 parameter are needed to ensure that any folders/filenames with spaces are properly passed to Excel from Windows Explorer. Without the quotes, the filename is truncated at the first space within the folder/filename.
End of Extreme Techinese Repair!!

I tried all three options with no luck.

Here is what I have

Microsoft Office Excel 2007 (1.2.0.6324.5001) SP1 MSO (1.2.0.6320.5000)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 3

I open Windows Explorer. Navigate to a .xls file. Click on the file.

Excel opens but the workbook does not display. When I click on logo (upper lefthand corner) the workbook displays.

So, Excel opens and it opens the workbook, but nothing displays until I click the logo.

Any ideas??

BTW, I tried changing the file type associations and the DDE Message kept reverting to [open("%1")]

This is no big deal. Just a pain and confuses other people when they use my machine.

Don,

It sounds like the DDE is still causing the issue however when attempting to change it within the file associations, the DDE settings are reverting back to their original settings.

1. Is the file you are attempting to open located on a server or is it located locally on your computer?

2. When do you notice that the DDE settings have changed themselves back?

3. Are there any known programs on the computer that keep your computer with the same exact settings as what you have right now?

4.

If the DDE file association settings will not change, there must be another issue that is causing that. The DDE will continue to cause that issue to happen unless the settings are set correctly.

1. Log into Safe Mode and set the settings within the file associations (3rd repair). This way if there is anything that is changing the settings or anything preventing the registry from changing, it should not be running at this time.

2. After you have set the settings, attempt to open your excel document in safe mode. See if it opens now.

a. If it does, attempt to reboot your computer and see if will continue to open the way it is supposed to.
b. If it does not open, recheck your settings to see if they have changed back. Ensure that you are clicking any and all of the necessary Apply or OK buttons if they are there.