Excel 2007: "Windows Cannot Find <filename>" -- but you KNOW the file exists!

Posted By Timothy • Topic: Tech

Feb 21, 2008 9:49 AM EDT

I just got a new computer at work. It runs Windows Vista (finally) and Office 2007. This is a completely fresh install from a corporate deployment image (no prepackaged adware). The deployment image did not have Office included since we run a mix of 2003 and 2007 here currently. So the Office installation is even more fresh.

Despite this, I ran into a really weird bug. Anytime I tried to open Excel files by using Explorer file association (ie, double clicking on the target file, instead of using File->Open menu within Excel), I would get the following error...

Screenshot of Excel 2007 throwing a file not found error

My first thought is permissions. I double checked. They were correct. Okay what's the problem? I opened the file from WITHIN Excel. It worked! Very strange.

I searched the google on the internets and found this post. Apparently, there's an advanced setting in Excel that can interfere with file association opening. Very odd. Click on the office "pearl" (the circle button in the upper-left corner of Excel), then click on "Excel Options." From there, click on "Advanced," scroll down to "General," and uncheck "Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)." (March 21, 2008 - Thanks to Shrivmather, in the comments below, for pointing out a mistake in the preceding paragraph. It has been corrected.)

Screenshot of Excel 2007 settings

I'm not sure I understand entirely why this setting prevents files from opening by association, throwing a "File Not Found" error. Maybe somebody can explain this to me? Well, the solution works, so mystery solved here...

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Comments :

*EXCEL*LENT POSTING!!! I've been spinning my wheels on this and had resigned to reinstalling Excel 2007. Tried the trick and it worked!! Really obscure problem - not too many people seem to experience it.

One NOTE. To get to the ignore DDE check box

Office Perl -> Excel Options (Bottom of the pull menu) -> Click Advanced (this is the missing step), then follow rest of directions as above.

Comment By Shrivmather At 3/21/2008 4:42 PM EDT

Finally the solution!! Thanks.

Comment By Femke At 5/5/2008 8:42 AM EDT

Thanks for finding this - I thought I was going insane! Now I just have to figure out why the setting changed on me, since it was working fine before today...

Comment By Turin At 6/23/2008 7:10 PM EDT

Thanx!!! i was also going insane about that problem. I was not on my installaton from start, but suddenly appeared.

Comment By Søren Ørslund At 6/25/2008 9:31 AM EDT

Thanx for the solution, I kept searched and found the official explanation: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211494

Which explains the solution - but not how this setting suddenly changes ...

Kind regards
Bo

Comment By Bo At 7/18/2008 6:06 PM EDT

thanks to whoever put this page on the net, ive been having this problem for a while and couldnt figure it out, was going to bring my pc back to future shop but decided to come online, thanks!!!

Comment By Eric Lawson At 7/24/2008 5:07 PM EDT

DUDE YOU LIFESAVER. Been looking for this for ages.....

Comment By HAHA At 8/9/2008 1:57 PM EDT

I was also experiencing a similar problem with Office 2003. Going to Excel/Tools/Options/General tab and unchecking "Ignore other applications" was the fix. Thanks for the info. I've been searching for this solution for at least 6 months.

Comment By Sue G At 11/4/2008 9:23 AM EDT

I've used Open office during the time that this bug started the 'file not found'. Any relation to that?

Thanks for the fix. It works fine now.

Comment By Marc S At 3/4/2009 2:29 AM EDT

I like the windows office better than open office,but one day i will try it.

Comment By tiffany At 3/13/2009 4:50 AM EDT

It felt strange when I saw this problem. And one more Microsoft funny bugs.

I started getting this problem, after I installed Office Live Addon. Not sure if that is related.

Thanks for the solution

Comment By Pramod Kumar Padamati At 3/17/2009 2:47 AM EDT

My excel suddenly through up this problem one day for no reason.
I just couldn't work when I had to copy each spreadsheet from email, open excel then open the file. It was driving me mad. You are an absolute life saver. Many thanks.

Comment By Graham W At 6/11/2009 5:06 AM EDT

Thanks for the solution!

Comment By larthur At 6/22/2009 4:28 PM EDT

Comment By larthur At 6/22/2009 4:29 PM EDT

Thanks for the solution. It helped me a lot!!!

Comment By Ivan Li Huang At 7/4/2009 1:06 PM EDT

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211494

Comment By San At 8/26/2009 10:59 AM EDT

I had similar problem but yes thanks to you it did work for me too.

Comment By noralynn At 9/19/2009 9:19 AM EDT

Thank you.

I am always reassured that if I have a problem, someone else has had the same problem before me and the solution will be out there somewhere. This is a classic example.

Thanks you again for finding the solution and solving my problem.

Comment By Chris At 11/8/2009 6:33 AM EDT

thanks G, that was awesome, i spent an hour on permissions & going through advanced/trust settings & this was the ticket, thanks, D

Comment By olsontc At 12/28/2009 7:44 PM EDT

Timothy - Thank You for this Post - helped out largely!

Ron

Comment By Ron At 1/20/2010 10:45 AM EDT

Im happy for you guys, but it still does't work for me...

Comment By Cris At 1/24/2010 7:06 AM EDT

same problem...thanks for the solution!!!
Lorenzo

Comment By Lorenzo At 2/1/2010 4:44 AM EDT

the solution helped! thanks!

Comment By rapid4me At 2/4/2010 9:44 AM EDT

i love you.

Comment By mc At 2/12/2010 4:22 PM EDT

Have had the same problem since day one, finally fixed it! thanks for the info

Comment By thanks At 3/6/2010 10:11 AM EDT

I love this kind of posts... My gratitudes go to you, sir.

Comment By Pharod At 4/6/2010 9:44 PM EDT

thanks, you made my day

Comment By Vlad At 5/21/2010 7:55 AM EDT

Had this problem for a long time until I decided to check the net today......thanks a million..

Comment By Peter Shaw At 5/23/2010 3:40 AM EDT

Thanks a lot. This was one information which I longed to find for myself. Had suffered from similar issues.
Nice sharing.

Comment By laser spine surgery At 7/9/2010 8:59 AM EDT

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