Shortcut file fails to open

I have used a quicklauch icon for years to start Excel with a default file
automatically opened. Suddenly this has quit working. Excel opens, I see a
virus scan being requested in the status bar, but everthing ends with Excel
open but no with no loaded worksheet.
I haven't changed anything lately. I have tried deleting and recreating the
shortcut. I have tried changing the file to a different workbook. Nothing
works. The workbooks are ok in that they load just fine using file/open once
Excel loads.
Has there been some automatic update lately that might have caused this? Any
ideas at all? Thanks
JimH

Hi, JimH;
I just tried this: dragged a shortcut (to one of my Excel workbooks) onto
Quicklaunch. Clicked it. The Workbook opened. Is this what doesn't work for
you?
Another way: Tools> Options> General> At startup, open all files in:...
Put the path to your workbook in there. This "should" open that workbook
whenever Excel started, regardless of whatever other workbook you were
opening, and regardless of what method you used to open Excel. Is there a
path in that box?
Regards,
Ianroy.

"JimH" wrote:

> I have used a quicklauch icon for years to start Excel with a default file
> automatically opened. Suddenly this has quit working. Excel opens, I see a
> virus scan being requested in the status bar, but everthing ends with Excel
> open but no with no loaded worksheet.
> I haven't changed anything lately. I have tried deleting and recreating the
> shortcut. I have tried changing the file to a different workbook. Nothing
> works. The workbooks are ok in that they load just fine using file/open once
> Excel loads.
> Has there been some automatic update lately that might have caused this? Any
> ideas at all? Thanks
> JimH

Yes, the icon created by dragging a workbook file onto quicklaunch is
precisely what used to work but now doesn't. I deleted the icon, recreated
it, created one by dragging a different workbook to the ql bar - all the
obvious things one might be expected to try. None worked. The shortcut
properties clearly point to the file. As I said before, it appears that excel
tries to open the file in that Norton steps in to scan (excel status bar
displays "requesting virus scan" for a few seconds). There are no error
messages, excel remains open, there just isnt any open workbook.
As for the Tools/Options/General approach, I have dozens of files in a
workbook directory. I certainly dont want Excel opening them all everytime I
start Excel. I'll have to pass on that approach. Anyway, I shouldn't have to
pull a work-around for something that has worked just fine for years.
Any other thoughts?
JimH

"IanRoy" wrote:

> Hi, JimH;
> I just tried this: dragged a shortcut (to one of my Excel workbooks) onto
> Quicklaunch. Clicked it. The Workbook opened. Is this what doesn't work for
> you?
> Another way: Tools> Options> General> At startup, open all files in:...
> Put the path to your workbook in there. This "should" open that workbook
> whenever Excel started, regardless of whatever other workbook you were
> opening, and regardless of what method you used to open Excel. Is there a
> path in that box?
> Regards,
> Ianroy.
>
> "JimH" wrote:
>
> > I have used a quicklauch icon for years to start Excel with a default file
> > automatically opened. Suddenly this has quit working. Excel opens, I see a
> > virus scan being requested in the status bar, but everthing ends with Excel
> > open but no with no loaded worksheet.
> > I haven't changed anything lately. I have tried deleting and recreating the
> > shortcut. I have tried changing the file to a different workbook. Nothing
> > works. The workbooks are ok in that they load just fine using file/open once
> > Excel loads.
> > Has there been some automatic update lately that might have caused this? Any
> > ideas at all? Thanks
> > JimH

Hi. JimH;

I wasn't advocating the Tools/Options/General approach, I just thought
that's what you might have done ("default file"), and there was a typo in
that path. I found an entry in Excel online help entitled "Customize how
Excel starts." There is this item: "Use startup switches when you start
Excel." The startup switch that may help is /regserver. If using WinXP, I'd
set a restore point, and then run Excel with that switch once, and see if
that fixed it.

PS: Norton runs a virus scan whenever I open Excel, it doesn't seem to be an
indication that Excel is trying to open an existing workbook.

Regards,
IanRoy.


"JimH" wrote:

> Yes, the icon created by dragging a workbook file onto quicklaunch is
> precisely what used to work but now doesn't. I deleted the icon, recreated
> it, created one by dragging a different workbook to the ql bar - all the
> obvious things one might be expected to try. None worked. The shortcut
> properties clearly point to the file. As I said before, it appears that excel
> tries to open the file in that Norton steps in to scan (excel status bar
> displays "requesting virus scan" for a few seconds). There are no error
> messages, excel remains open, there just isnt any open workbook.
> As for the Tools/Options/General approach, I have dozens of files in a
> workbook directory. I certainly dont want Excel opening them all everytime I
> start Excel. I'll have to pass on that approach. Anyway, I shouldn't have to
> pull a work-around for something that has worked just fine for years.
> Any other thoughts?
> JimH
>
> "IanRoy" wrote:
>
> > Hi, JimH;
> > I just tried this: dragged a shortcut (to one of my Excel workbooks) onto
> > Quicklaunch. Clicked it. The Workbook opened. Is this what doesn't work for
> > you?
> > Another way: Tools> Options> General> At startup, open all files in:...
> > Put the path to your workbook in there. This "should" open that workbook
> > whenever Excel started, regardless of whatever other workbook you were
> > opening, and regardless of what method you used to open Excel. Is there a
> > path in that box?
> > Regards,
> > Ianroy.
> >
> > "JimH" wrote:
> >
> > > I have used a quicklauch icon for years to start Excel with a default file
> > > automatically opened. Suddenly this has quit working. Excel opens, I see a
> > > virus scan being requested in the status bar, but everthing ends with Excel
> > > open but no with no loaded worksheet.
> > > I haven't changed anything lately. I have tried deleting and recreating the
> > > shortcut. I have tried changing the file to a different workbook. Nothing
> > > works. The workbooks are ok in that they load just fine using file/open once
> > > Excel loads.
> > > Has there been some automatic update lately that might have caused this? Any
> > > ideas at all? Thanks
> > > JimH