SBFM Error: Cannot Find 'C:\Windows\System\Msaap.xla'

• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Small Business Financial Manager for Microsoft Excel, version 1.0

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SYMPTOMS

When you restart Microsoft Excel after you uninstall the Microsoft Small Business Financial Manager (SBFM) for Microsoft Excel, you may receive the following error message:

   Cannot Find 'C:\Windows\System\msaap.xla'

CAUSE

When you uninstall the SBFM (by running Setup and clicking Remove All), the Msaap.xla add-in file is removed from the Windows System folder. However, the Registry entry that loads the add-in when Microsoft Excel is started is not removed. The next time Microsoft Excel is started after the SBFM is removed, the add-in cannot be loaded (because the Setup program removed it), and you receive the error message.

RESOLUTION

To prevent this error message from appearing, use any one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use the Add-In Manager to remove the reference to the add-in:

          a. Start Microsoft Excel.

          b. When you receive the  error message, click OK.

          c. On the Tools menu, click Add-Ins.

          d. In the Add-Ins dialog box, click Msaap.

             You will receive another error message:

               Cannot find add-in 'C:\Windows\System\msaap.xla'. Delete
               from list?

          e. Click Yes to remove the add-in entry from the registry.

          f. Click OK.

          The next time you start Microsoft Excel, you will not receive an
          error message.

          WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious
          problems that may require you to reinstall Windows 95. Microsoft
          cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use
          of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own
          risk.

          For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing
          Keys And Values online Help topic in Registry Editor
          (Regedit.exe). Note that you should make a backup copy of the
          registry files (System.dat and User.dat) before you edit the
          registry.

          The registry entry that loads the add-in can also be manually
          removed from the following registry key:

            HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Excel\7.0\Microsoft Excel

          a. Exit Microsoft Excel.

          b. On the Windows 95 taskbar, click Start, and then click Run.

          c. In the Run box, type "regedit" (without the quotation marks),
             and click OK.

          d. Locate the following key:

             HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Excel\7.0\Microsoft Excel

          e. In the right pane, locate the entry name "OPEN" with the Data
             Value of "/f "c:\Windows\System\msaap.xla"" .

          f. Click the entry and press the DELETE key, click Yes when
             prompted to confirm the deletion.

          g. On the Registry menu, click Exit.

          h. Start Microsoft Excel.

          The error message should no longer appear.

          For additional information, please see the following article(s)
          in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

              ARTICLE-ID: Q136393
              TITLE     : How to Modify the Windows Registry

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q152818
   TITLE     : SBFM: How to Uninstall Small Business Financial Manager