I'm using Excel 2003 running on Window 7. My problem is very strange. I can only open my excel file when I was in Excel program but not in other application like trying to opening the excel file by double click the filename in  exploxer, lotus email.  Have also go Excel program -> tools- options - general and unchecked the " ignore other applications" but still cannot open my excel file. 

• Moved by Jennifer ZhanModerator Tuesday, November 16, 2010 7:51 AM (From:Office 2007 Application Compatibility)

Hi,

This sounds like a problem with the file associations in Windows. The first thing to try is to force Excel to reconstruct all the proper association information. You do that by following these steps:

1. Make sure that Excel is not running (exit the program).
2. Click the Start button to displays the Start menu.
3. From the Start menu, choose Run. Windows displays the Run dialog box.
4. In the Open box, enter the full path name to your Excel program, followed by the /regserver switch. If the full path name includes spaces, surround the full path name by quote marks. The following is an example of what you can enter in the Open box (your path may be different):

"c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.exe" /regserver

Click OK.

If you still cannot double-click on a workbook to open it, try these steps:

1. Get out of Excel completely.
2. Open a My Computer window.
3. Choose Tool | Folder Options. You should see the Folder Options dialog box.
4. Make sure the File Types tab is displayed.
5. In the list of registered file types, find and select the entry for XLS (Microsoft Excel Worksheet).
6. Depending on your version of Windows, click on either the Edit or the Advanced button. You should see the Edit File Type dialog box.
7. In the list of actions, choose Open.
8. Click the Edit button. Windows displays the Editing Action dialog box.
9. The Application Used to Perform Action box contains the actual command line used to start Word. Double-check the line to make sure there are no strange extra filenames at the end of the command line.
10. Make sure the Use DDE check box is selected, and that the DDE Message box is set to the following:

 [open("%1")]

Click on OK and Close all the other open dialog boxes.

• Edited by David WoltersModerator Tuesday, November 16, 2010 2:28 PM Fixed broken table
• Marked as answer by Jennifer ZhanModerator Thursday, November 25, 2010 6:53 AM

Hi,

I started experiencing the same problem, after re-tracing my steps I realised that a setting i had changed may be causing this.

Within the Tools>Options>General Tab of excel i had checked the setting 'Ignore other applications' and after this point i could no longer open any other Excel file without receiving the error ' there is a problem sending the command to the program'. The only method for opening excel file from this point was through opening the excel program and using file>open from the tool bar.

I have now unchecked the 'Ignore other applications' setting and my excel files will now open as normal.

Hope this information may be of some use.

 

• Proposed as answer by huxscoder Thursday, June 28, 2012 7:49 AM
• Unproposed as answer by huxscoder Thursday, June 28, 2012 7:52 AM

It works. Thanks.

Thank you very much! This worked for me. In 2007 the option is under the Office button, then Excel Options, and Advanced. Under the General area the option is called 'Ignore other applications that use dynamic data exchange (DDE).

Once I disabled that it was good to open the file again.

Thanks again

Paul