Strange menu behaviour

  • Thread starter Thread starter Eitan
  • Start date Start date
E

Eitan

Assume Excel 2000 on Windows XP.

When I select "Tools" or "Data" menu items, Excel unexpectedly shuts down
immediately, with no warning. Similar problems occur with other Office 2000
apps, but Excel seems to be most affected.

I have tried detect/repair; uninstalling/reinstalling; virus check; shutting
down virus checker (AVG); scanning disk.

Uninstalling doesn't entirely remove Office (for example calendar items in
Outlook are preserved on reinstall). So I suspect being able to completely
uninstall all remnants of Office may be a solution --- Is it possible to do
this on XP (I know there is a Windows 2000 utility for this, but this is no
good for XP)?

Any ideas gratefully received. Final option seems to be a complete reinstall
of XP system, which for obvious reasons I'd like to avoid!

Thanks in advance,
Eleibo
 
Try renaming your ..xlb file to see if that is the source of the
problem. This will cause Excel to create a new toolbars file.
--
 
Could not find any .xlb files on my (XP) system, despite searching
exhaustively through all (hidden, system, protected etc.)files; with Excel
open and closed. That is quite strange, any guidance?

By the way, I have observed that Excel does not have the same problem when
opened under a different user on the same system.
 
Hi Tan,

I keep forgetting to say that the .xlb file is a hidden file, but you
said you already checked.
..
Someone else said that they only found the *.xlb file through the
DOS command run from the Command window.
dir *.xlb /s
Specifically to look amongst hidden files (don't know if it is restricted to)
dir *.xlb /s /h
-------------------------------------------------------------
In a private conversation with someone else:
Your *.xlb is a hidden file, suggest you don't hide anything.

My Computer, Folder Options, View,
Show Hidden Files and Folders

There should be a
Search Options, Advanced Options, search subfolders
I don't know why, but fortunately for me the option is always checked
even though I don't see it unless I go through the above.

The *.xlb file you want would be the latest one modified.

More information on my Backup and Recovery page
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/backup.htm

results:
Found the file via DOS!

Turns out that Windows NT4 Windows Explorer on my laptop searches only ONE
subfolder level deep on the C: drive. It searches all the way down on D:
(partition on hard drive) and on all network drives. That's why I couldn't
find the file using Explorer!



----------------------------------------------------------
 
Hi David,

Thanks for your response.


In fact, I have resolved the problem. There appears to be a conflict between
Office 2000 and a program I run called WindowBlinds (adds customisable skins
to the windows interface).

The problem is solved by disabling Window Blinds. I will explore Stardock's
site to see if there is a known fix.


Regards,
Tan
 
Hi Tan,
You might also try a Google Web Search:
windowblinds excel menu problems skins
Showed 37 hits for me didn't bother looking at them since I don't have that software.

How did you determine that that was the problem, hope for gaining more
insight that it was more than just a lucky guess. Like perhaps the last newly
installed software or option change..
 
Started system in safe mode. Excel functioned correctly. In addition, a more
plain-vanilla user set-up I have on my pc also worked fine.

Determined that WindowsBlinds was one of only two or three potential causes,
there being only a few key differences between my plain-vanilla and usual
user set-up.

Nothing particularly relevant on suggested Google search. But Stardock do
have updated version of WindowsBlinds, which I may try later.


Regards,
Tan


David McRitchie said:
Hi Tan,
You might also try a Google Web Search:
windowblinds excel menu problems skins
Showed 37 hits for me didn't bother looking at them since I don't have that software.

How did you determine that that was the problem, hope for gaining more
insight that it was more than just a lucky guess. Like perhaps the last newly
installed software or option change..
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm

Thanks for your response.

In fact, I have resolved the problem. There appears to be a conflict between
Office 2000 and a program I run called WindowBlinds (adds customisable skins
to the windows interface).

The problem is solved by disabling Window Blinds. I will explore Stardock's
site to see if there is a known fix.
 
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