What does this symbol mean

Hi scudo,

It's likely that somehow the default file association for xlsx files has somehow been changed to an xml viewer. Right-click the icon and hover over 'Open With', select 'Choose default program', click the tick box at the bottom left which says 'Always use the selected program to open this type of file', select Excel then OK.

Regards,
Aardigspook

You get the prize for the weirdest problem I've come across for a while...

Next thing I can suggest is working out if the problem is specific to this file or if it happens with other files too. You wrote that other xlsx files on the memory stick are ok. Did they go through the same process of being copied from the laptop on to the stick, then being opened on the PC? Or were they already on the memory stick from elsewhere? If it's the latter, see if you can replicate the problem with another file (an unrelated file, not a copy of this one). If the problem occurs with other files, it's some sort of system issue; if it doesn't, it's an issue with this file.

If it's a system issue, it could be the memory stick or the PC.
Have you tried another memory stick with this file?
Are both laptop and PC running Windows? the same version? This page (https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0) reports something maybe similar happening on moving between a PC and a Mac.

If it's a this-file issue, try the following checks to try to narrow it down:
1. Open the offending file from the memory stick on the laptop, use 'Save As' to create a new .xlsx file, and check if that shows the same problem on the PC.
2. If that doesn't work, try copying the data & formulae from this file (on the laptop) to a blank file and see if that shows the same problem.
3. If you have multiple sheets (tabs) in the file, try copying each individual sheet to different new files. Check if they all show the problem. If only one has a problem, it's something from that sheet.
(I think 2 & 3 are very unlikely, but they're worth doing to be methodical.)

If none of the above sheds any more light on the problem, I'm all out of ideas I'm afraid.

Good luck.

Regards,
Aardigspook

If your problem is solved, please go to 'Thread Tools' on your first post and 'Mark Thread as Solved'.
You don't need to give me rep if I helped, but thanks are appreciated.

Thanks for the reply, I wont get access again to the laptop until tomorrow pm and I will check what you have posted then, but to answer some of it so far.



Next thing I can suggest is working out if the problem is specific to this file or if it happens with other files too. You wrote that other xlsx files on the memory stick are ok. Did they go through the same process of being copied from the laptop on to the stick, then being opened on the PC? Or were they already on the memory stick from elsewhere? If it's the latter, see if you can replicate the problem with another file (an unrelated file, not a copy of this one). If the problem occurs with other files, it's some sort of system issue; if it doesn't, it's an issue with this file.

If it's a system issue, it could be the memory stick or the PC.
Have you tried another memory stick with this file? Yes same happens with both memory sticks.
Are both laptop and PC running Windows? the same version? This page (https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0) reports something maybe similar happening on moving between a PC and a Mac. Both windows 1 x XP and 1 x win7

If it's a this-file issue, try the following checks to try to narrow it down:
1. Open the offending file from the memory stick on the laptop, use 'Save As' to create a new .xlsx file, and check if that shows the same problem on the PC. Yes it does, same problem.
2. If that doesn't work, try copying the data & formulae from this file (on the laptop) to a blank file and see if that shows the same problem.
3. If you have multiple sheets (tabs) in the file (Yes, I have 19 tabs), try copying each individual sheet to different new files. Check if they all show the problem. If only one has a problem, it's something from that sheet.
(I think 2 & 3 are very unlikely, but they're worth doing to be methodical.)"

One thing that may be relevent the laptop is company owned and could have all sorts of protections etc although it is not a problem when the workbook is emailed from it.

I will update tomorrow pm.

Have you tried saving it as a different file format? I.e. XLSM or XLSB? I think that might be worth trying, especially the XLSB format.

Hopefully when my wife finishes using the laptop I can try some of the suggestions below. In the meantime I dont know if this helps (image below)
When my wife sends a copy from laptop at work to me at PC home I get it zipped as in below, I then open it from the zip and save as XLSX file to desktop and all is fine. It would therefore appear that a programme or whatever is changing them to XML on the company laptop regardless of whether I copy to a memory stick or emailed to me.

xlm.JPG

Hi,

Glad to see you've found a work-around, though it's annoying that it's needed.
The screenshot implies that it might be a problem with the way the company server 'sees' the xlsx files - which are actually special types of zip files. A quick search threw this up:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/o...02d0af2?auth=1

Which suggests the following solution:
Open Internet Options (through Control Panel or Internet Explorer), navigate to the Security Tab, highlight the Internet Zone then click on the Custom Level button. Disable the option ‘Open files based on content, not file extension’
A couple of other searches tell me that this option isn't available from IE9 onwards, but it might be that the company still uses IE8 like mine does?

There are also some server settings which might cause the problem. I'm not a server expert (if there's a name for the opposite of a server expert, that's me!) but these links might make sense to someone:
http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/int...lsx-zip-files/
http://serverfault.com/questions/409...en-downloading
http://www.webdeveloper.com/forum/sh...a-zip-SOLUTION
http://superuser.com/questions/62852...n-download-why

Hope the above is of some help.

Regards,
Aardigspook

If your problem is solved, please go to 'Thread Tools' on your first post and 'Mark Thread as Solved'.
You don't need to give me rep if I helped, but thanks are appreciated.

Thanks Aardigspook, I wont get access to the laptop for another week so I will speak to the recipient and see if they are up to "Disable the option ‘Open files based on content, not file extension’ " If not I will do the necessary when I get access to it.

In the meantime due to the time lag for me getting access I will mark as solved.

Thanks to all for your input.

You're welcome.

Just to add what you have stated...

Found on google, Quote......

I think the work around that I was looking for was the fact that the 'Open files based on content, not file extension' option in IE8 was renamed, 'Enable MIME Sniffing' in IE9

Good to know, thanks.