Windows 10/Excel 2016 Bug - Excel Opens Additional Blank Worksheet

Just bought a new computer with Windows 10, Office 2016, and UltraHD. I've noticed that every time I open an Excel file, it not only opens that file, but it also opens a blank workbook as well. Googling the issue has turned up similar problems elsewhere: http://www.techsupportforum.com/foru...t-1073930.html

It's fine that Excel opens up a blank workbook if I'm clicking on the shortcut on my taskbar, but it's super annoying when I click on a file shortcut or go to file explorer and click on an Excel file and along with that file a blank workbook opens too. This is a week old computer, so I have no idea why there would be any issue.

Happy holidays and if someone has a fix boy have you saved me a lot of headaches! Ha.

Thanks!

I recall having this problem a while ago, and it seemed t be caused by where my default "save" location was. It was a while back and I cant remember exactly what it was/what I did, but I think I changed the "default file location". Find that under Excel Options. make a note of the current setting, then play around and see if it helps

What is the name of the other file that opens? Is it Personal.xlsb?

I have an SSD drive and I changed the location of "My Documents" to the D drive to save space on the SSD. Excel still had the old location for files and I was getting an extra empty workbook opening when opening a file. I don't understand why that happened because I thought that only the save location would be affected. I changed the default location in Excel to the new location and all was well again.

@Ford
Did you by chance change the location of the My Documents folder like I did?

Ron, I believe I did change that location - it was one of those once-off things you do, then forget about it

There were other strange things that happened when I changed the My Documents folder but the only one that I can remember right now was that my backup wouldn't work. I had changed the location of the My Documents folder by changing it while in the folder library. The prompts were there to do it but it didn't properly register in the registry. I had to replace the My Documents folder back to its default location then find my account on the C drive, navigate to the My Documents folder, and change the location by Right clicking on the folder and then choose Location. After that it worked properly.

I have done the same thing with my SSD! It's pretty simple, you just do what you said (right click, properties, change location). The computer now identifies what c/my documents (or whatever that default location is) with the new d/my name/my documents. Same thing with pictures, music, etc.

"I changed the default location in Excel to the new location and all was well again."

How did you do this? Or is that what I was already looking at? Because my default location within Excel is the correct D drive. Just to be clear, though, my program files and all of that is still within the C drive. I only moved my media files, pictures, my documents, and downloads to the D drive.

I started off slowly first by changing the location of the Pictures folder from within the Library. It worked so I went on to Videos and that worked but My Documents seemed to work but there were problems, Excel opening two files, backup not working and other strange events that I can't bring to mind. I had to go to the actual folder for My Documents, right click on the folder, Properties, Location and click on the Default Location button (that isn't quite the right wording but close). After that, I navigated to my user account, located My Documents, and right clicked and changed the location to my D drive. After doing that, the My Documents worked properly. If I recall properly, I had to add the new location to the Library by clicking on the main Library then clicking on the New Library button.

In Excel 2010, after changing the My Documents location, I went to File, Excel Options, Save and changed the Default File Location and changed that to the new My Documents location. I have no explanation of why that worked for me as it doesn't, as far as I am concerned, have any logic behind it.

Looks like this issue has been going back for awhile now, although first time it's ever happened to me: http://www.excelforum.com/excel-gene...xcel-file.html

I'm not sure where the guy's suggestion (General uncheck "Ignore other Applications") is in Excel 2016, though.

My auto recover is in the same location as yours.

Have you by chance tried to do a repair install of Office?

A repair install of Office is done through the Control Panel. It isn't a re-installation of Office but a repair of any corrupted files that may exist in the Office installation. It doesn't take long and would at least eliminate one possibility.

Yes, that is what you want. All the Office programs are in some way integrated and that repair will examine all of the Office installation and make necessary repairs....go for it.

Okay so this is weird. When I first went to that page, I thought there was a repair option for "Microsoft office home and student 2016," but now there isn't one. Other apps have repair options. Hmm.

EDIT: Had to find it by first clicking on "Change." Weird. Ha. It finished running, but the issue remains. Good try!

Good. Microsoft's instructions are sometimes confusing....good luck.

Add-ins can become obsolete with the updating of Excel and do cause problems when that happens. If that add-in is something that you normally make use of, do a search for an updated version that is compatible with your version of Excel.

If that takes care of your original question, please select Thread Tools from the menu link above and mark this thread as SOLVED. Thanks.