XL97: Errors Opening Workbook from Windows Explorer

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

When you open a Microsoft Excel workbook from Microsoft Windows Explorer, the following error message appears

   <File name> could not be found. Check the spelling of the file name, and
   verify that the file location is correct.

   If you are trying to open the file from your list of most recently used
   files on the File menu, make sure that the file has not been renamed,
   moved, or deleted.

Subsequent error messages similar to this one may appear several times. When you click OK, Microsoft Excel eventually opens the file.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 4.0 are both installed on the same computer and you attempt to open a workbook from Windows Explorer.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Correct the Extensions Section

In method 1, locate the Win.ini file and correct the Extensions section. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Save your work and close any programs that are running.

2. Click Start and click Run.

3. Type Win.ini and click OK.

4. In the Win.ini file that is displayed, click Find on the Search menu and find the Extensions section.

5. Type a semicolon (;) before each of the following lines:

         xls=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xls
         xlc=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xlc
         xlw=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xlw
         xlm=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xlm
         xlt=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xlt
         xll=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xll
         xlb=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xlb
         xla=C:\EXCEL\Excel.EXE ^.xla
   

   Note that the path to the Excel.exe file on your computer may be different.

6. Save the file and close Notepad (or the text editor you are using).

7. Next, reinstall Microsoft Excel or Office by using the y and r Setup switches. To do this, follow these steps:

       a. Click Start and click Run.
   

       b. In the open box, type the following
   

             <CD-ROM Drive>:\Setup.exe /y /r
   
          where <CD-ROM Drive> is the letter of your CD-ROM drive.
   
   

Method 2: Create a New Win.ini

If Method 1 does not resolve your problem, create a new Win.ini file.

NOTE: If you remove the Win.ini file, or if it becomes corrupted, and you then restart Microsoft Windows 95, a new Win.ini is created. However, the new Win.ini contains only the Desktop or Embedding sections. All other sections are not included.

To create a new Win.ini file, follow these steps:

1. Use Windows Explorer to rename the Win.ini to Win.old. Then, reinstall Windows 95.

   Windows 95 detects that you are reinstalling, and a "Run Setup Again?" dialog box appears. The dialog box gives you two options.

2. Select the first option (to restore Windows files that are changed or corrupted) and reinstall Windows 95.

   This method recreates a new, complete Win.ini with all of the required sections.

3. Run the Setup program for Excel or Office. When you are prompted, click Reinstall.

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

When you install or use Excel 4.0, entries are made to the Win.ini to register the document types with Windows. The Windows 95 file types and Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) registration entries are changed accordingly.

Excel 4.0 does not support long file names or spaces in a file name. A file named "First Quarter.xls" that is located in the "My Documents" folder generates the following error messages for each space in both the path and the file name:

   'C:\My.xls' could not be found. Check the spelling of the file name, and
   verify that the file location is correct.

   'C:\Documents\First.xls' could not be found. Check the spelling of
   the file name, and verify that the file location is correct.

   'C:\Quarter.xls' could not be found. Check the spelling of the file
   name, and verify that the file location is correct.