Question : Excel doesn't open correctly when clicking on an excel document

I have a desktop pc and a laptop that have the same problem with opening excel files when clicking on them.

Excel starts up but the area the document should be displayed in is transparent and just shows the desktop.

The only way I can open an excel document is to open excel first and then go to 'file', 'open' and point to the document which is rather frustrating for the user, especially if someone sends an excel file as an attachment as it has to be saved first etc etc

I ran the 'detect and repair' option on form the help menu within excel on the pc but this made no difference

I then unistalled and re installed excel on the pc and this actually solved the problem for a few weeks but the symptoms soon returned.

I thought it could possibly be a memory issue but both machines havn't been used for anything different since day one and if that was the case why would reinstalling the application fix it?

Any ideas would be much appreciated.

BigCap

Answer : Excel doesn't open correctly when clicking on an excel document

If your workbook won't open when you double-click a file (but will open using Excel's File...Open menu item), then try the following:

In the Tools...Options...General menu item, uncheck the box for "Ignore other applications". This is by far the most common cause of the problem. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;211494


If "Ignore other applications" doesn't work, then try re-registering Excel:
1) Close all instances of Excel
2) From the Start...Run command line, click the Browse button to find your Excel.Exe file
3) Click the "Open" button
4) Back at the Start...Run command line, add the /unregserver switch to unregister Excel. Your path and version will vary, but the finished command may look like:
       "C:\Program files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /unregserver
5) Click the "OK" button
6) Repeat above steps for the /regserver switch to re-register Excel. Your finished command may look like:
       "C:\Program files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /regserver
7) Check the DDE settings for .xls file type in Windows Explorer. For detailed instructions see fanpages' answer at http:/Q_21475109.html#14334074