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Windows XP right click on desktop and new Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet opens not blank

We have a user using Windows XP Service Pack 3, Office 2007 Service Pack 2 when they right click on the desktop and select new and Microsoft Office Excel Worksheet it opens Excel 2007 but the worksheet is not blank. It is populated with data from a spreadsheet she has never used but is on the network.

If she opens a document the normal way it opens blank.

Any ideas?

Andy

tilsant

did u check your XLSTART folder (where generally u have PERSONAL.xls)??

tessupport

ASKER

I have checked the XLSTART Folder and it is blank. Nothing in there.

Andy

tilsant

Check this location:
Excel Options >> Advanced >> General

Over here there is an option for "At Start up, open all files in ......"

Is this place blank for u?? or is there an address there?? if yes, then deleting the address will solve the issue!!

Tils.

tessupport

ASKER

This is blank for her so back to the drawing board.

Thanks,

Andy

tilsant

once u right click on the desktop and select new microsoft excel worksheet.
there is a file created on the desktop, right??
and after double clicking it, some other file opens, right??
so, does the new excel file open or both the files are simultaneously opened?
or is the new excel file opened with the data of some other file??

tessupport

ASKER

Yes a file is created on the desktop. You then double click that file and it opens and data is populated in the excel spreadsheet. It is the same data every time she works this way. If she opens excel direct or opens a new excel workbook in excel they are completely blank.

Andy

tilsant

i'll assume no Macro exists which causes such kinda data to populate!!

After creating the file on the desktop, (and before opening it) could check its properties, its location n size, whether they refer to normal new excel file or not??

Rory Archibald

Open windows explorer, choose Tools->Folder options, then select the File Types tab and locate the .xls extension in the list. Select it, click the Advanced button, select New in the Actions list, then click the Edit... button. What options are set? They should be:

Application used to perform action: "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11\EXCEL.EXE" /e /n
Use DDE: checked
DDE message: [new("%1")]
Application: Excel
DDE application not running: blank
Topic: System

tessupport

ASKER

Tilsant, the properties of the new excel file is around 14k and the location is desktop.

Rorya, I have checked the settings and they are exactly the same as stated above.

Thanks for your input guys, its greatly appreciated.

Andy

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Rory Archibald

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tessupport

ASKER

Thanks rorya, it transpired the document in the shellnew had data in it. I simply replaced with an empty workbook named EXCEL12 and job a good one.

Great job,

Andy

tilsant

wow!! that was new for me....... i could have never expected tht kinda thing happening!

Jus 2 more questions:
Why that thing doesnt happen when we press "Ctrl+N"?
Why would someone change/edit the files in the SHELLNEW folder? (accidently??)

Tils.

Rory Archibald

Ctrl+n is an Excel shortcut, not Windows, so has nothing to do with the shell.
I have no idea about part 2! :)

tessupport

ASKER

I also have no idea how the file in shell had data in it. The wierd thing is the data was relating to work done by an Engineer and this person was in HR. She would not have ever opened that document, so it is a complete wtf moment. Does not make any sense. Also she is not the most computer literate person and would believe she did not mess around with this.

Andy