Help! MIcrosft Excel has stopped working!

Question

I have Microsoft Office Professional with Front Page installed on my computer. I think it is 2003. It came bundled with my Dell laptop, an Inspiron 6400. I am using Windows XP. I have been using all the features of Office with no problem. All of a sudden, I cannot use Excel. When I try to use it, the windows installer comes up and it is trying to configure it. It then says it cannot because the feature I am trying to us is on a CD-ROM.... and insert the CD. I cannot do that since this is bundled software...I don't have a CD. then error 1706 comes up. The rest of Office works fine...Word, Powerpoint, Access,etc. Is there any solution to this problem, short of buying Office and installing the whole thing all over again? thanks in advance. Barbara

abach · Answer

Try this  -   Start, Run, then type the following   excel   Click OK.   If Excel starts, you'll need to recreate the shortcut. If you need help with this, let me know.

barcann · Answer

Hi Allan I did as you suggested. Excel comes up but then so does the windows installer and the same thing as I described above happens. It wants to install Excel but I have no CD. the rest of the Office programs work fine and as, I said, Excel always worked too. I use it a lot and never had trouble with it until now. Barbara

barcann · Answer

Allan yea wish I had the original CD..that's the problem LOL OK, went to add ins.. nothing was checked. so I checked euro currency tool, and then unchecked it, exited and nothing. still doesn't work. are we running out of ideas yet? I really appreciate your help. Barbara

barcann · Answer

interesting I did as you suggested. same thing happened... Then I just kept hitting cancel. it kept trying to install but after hitting cancel several times, I got Excel up and running. If I try to open it just from the shortcut or the start menu, I get the installer and if I hit cancel everything cancels out. but the run excel /s works when I hit cancel several times. Am I making the explanation clear? :-) Barbara

abach · Answer

Let's see if there is an add-in causing this.   Start, run, then type the following   excel /s   Click OK (there is a space before the /)   Does this help?

abach · Answer

When you get into Excel, choose Tools, Add-ins and remove the check from the Euro Currency tool (if it exists). Exit and restart Excel. Does this help?   (If you had the original CD, we'd just insert it, but I'm trying to get you running without the CD)

abach · Answer

Have you tried a restore to a previous point?   Start, All Programs, System Tools. Restore.   Choose a day that is bold (try last week).   This may help and will not affect any of your files.   You can also try a Detect and Repair from the Excel help menu. Sometimes the Office install files are on your hard drive.

barcann · Answer

Hi Allan Ok, we got it. I did a system restore and that solved the problem. I guess I could have thought of that in the beginning. Thank you so much for all your help. Barbara

abach · Answer

Glad to see the problem is solved. It does bother me, though, why it happened....

barcann · Answer

Allan I was wondering too why it happened. Now Excel works, but when I first boot up my computer, the windows installer is coming up again. Now it is trying to install hph_software asking the same thing, for a disk, etc. I keep hitting cancel until I get a message saying, 'an unsupported operation was attempted.' I thought maybe hph was referring to my HP printer software, but I am not sure. so there still is defintiely something wrong...maybe in windows itself? Barbara

_Allan_ · Answer

Barbara,

I don't have anything to add, but, if you need, I have a copy of Office 2003 that I could burn for you, that way you can try a reinstall. (before uninstalling, use Magic Jelly Bean to get your Office 2003 key).

If you would like a copy of the disk, let me know via PM.

Message Edited by _Allan_ on 01-17-2008 01:29 AM

barcann · Answer

Thanks Allan I appreciate the offer but Excel is working fine now. it's hph_software.msi that windows installer wants to install now. I have to work on that one now. :-) Thanks for all your help Barbara

abach · Answer

Try Start, Run, type msconfig and look at the startup tab. If anything looks like hph, remove the check and restart the PC. See if this helps.   *** As for the other Allan's suggestion, it most likely would not work, as you'd need the original CD.

barcann · Answer

Oh, I had another Allan responding. I did not realize that. sorry. OK, this is for Allan Bach. In trying to solve the problem of the hph_software, I ended up restoring my computer again. Now I am back to square one unfortunately. I do not have the hph_software situation, but I have the Excel problem again. I tried to restore another time to go back to the earlier time which brought me the hph_software problem, to see if your solution would work. But now I seem not to be able to restore anything other than in January 2008. I cannot get to December 20007 restore points for some reason, which I did before. This is getting frustrating. I may just try to live with the Excel problem or search around to get an original CD from someone and reinstall Office. Barbara

Dr. Lawrence Ho · Answer

Go to microsoft downloads and download installer.  This should stop the messages.

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