HELP with unrecognizable format in Excel

  • Thread starter Thread starter 5hulses
  • Start date Start date
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5hulses

JUst got a new computer with Vista (HATE IT!). Tried to open a file in Excel
but it says it's not a recognizable format...why??

TIA
 
Control Panel, Default Programs, "Associate a filetype or protocol with a
Program", scroll down to the desired filetype to use with Excel. Highlight
it, and click the "Change program" button. Select Excel.
 
5hulses said:
JUst got a new computer with Vista (HATE IT!). Tried to open a file in
Excel
but it says it's not a recognizable format...why??
Click to expand...


Do you have Excel, or the free Excel file reader, installed?

ss.
 
JUst got a new computer with Vista (HATE IT!). Tried to open a file in Excel
but it says it's not a recognizable format...why??

TIA
Click to expand...


With Vista, who knows why it does half the stupid stuff it does.

Try going to Control Panel, Default Programs, then see what if
anything is associated with your spreadsheet file types like .xlb and
..xlc. Change as necessary.
 
5hulses said:
JUst got a new computer with Vista (HATE IT!). Tried to open a file in
Excel
but it says it's not a recognizable format...why??
Click to expand...

How does it know how to open an Excel file if you don't have Excel installed
on the machine? If you have MS Works on the machine, then you're going to
have to use MS Work's Spread Sheet program, open the file manually and
telling it that a .xls file is to be opened.
 
5hulses said:
JUst got a new computer with Vista (HATE IT!). Tried to open a file in
Excel
but it says it's not a recognizable format...why??

TIA
Click to expand...


Excel doesn't come with Vista. You have to buy it and install it
separately....
 
Who said I don't have excel installed. It's just one excel file...the rest
open no problem
 
5hulses said:
JUst got a new computer with Vista (HATE IT!). Tried to open a file in Excel
but it says it's not a recognizable format...why??

TIA
Click to expand...


Three things we need to know:

1) Do you actually have Excel installed?

2) Is the file in question actually an Excel spreadsheet, or other
Excel-compatible format?

3) Why aren't you asking this in an Excel or Office newsgroup? It has
nothing to do with Vista.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
5hulses said:
Who said I don't have excel installed. It's just one excel file...the rest
open no problem
Click to expand...

Then that one file is obviously corrupted. Restore from backup.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
Ringmaster wrote:

<snipped>

I see you have already went to your next diaper name change. You can
change to a new diaper, but you can't hide.
 
Some of my excel files open no problem, but of course my most important file
it will not recognize & open...tried to change file type extension, but that
still doesn't open THAT particular file...why?
 
Gordon said:
So why not say that in your first post?
Click to expand...


Because it would have been pertinent to the question?

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:


http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
Bruce Chambers said:
Then that one file is obviously corrupted. Restore from backup.
Click to expand...


Not obviously. It could be a .xlsx file from Excel 2007, and he has Excel
2003 or earlier. He's need to open it in the Excel 2007 Reader in that
case, or ask whoever sent it to him for another version saved in .xls
format.

ss.
 
Some of my excel files open no problem, but of course my most important file
it will not recognize & open...tried to change file type extension, but that
still doesn't open THAT particular file...why?
Click to expand...

1. What is the file extension you can't open? What's needed is the
three letters that are right of the period.

2. What version of Excel are you using?

I'm still using old Office 97 Pro and Vista seems to still work with
it alright for the limited needs I still use Office.

Changing the file type blindly isn't a very good idea. It is what it
is. You probably just need to associate it properly.
 
what version of office do you have now ? what version did you create the
file with ? what is the file extension of the file that won't open?
 
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