Excel 2007: "Windows Cannot Find " -- but you KNOW the file exists!

Posted by Timothy • Topics: Tech Thursday, February 21, 2008 09:49 AM

I just got a new computer at work. It runs Windows Vista (finally) and Office 2007. This is a completely fresh install from a corporate deployment image (no prepackaged adware). The deployment image did not have Office included since we run a mix of 2003 and 2007 here currently. So the Office installation is even more fresh.

Despite this, I ran into a really weird bug. Anytime I tried to open Excel files by using Explorer file association (ie, double clicking on the target file, instead of using File->Open menu within Excel), I would get the following error...

Screenshot of Excel 2007 throwing a file not found error

My first thought is permissions. I double checked. They were correct. Okay what's the problem? I opened the file from WITHIN Excel. It worked! Very strange.

I searched the google on the internets and found this post. Apparently, there's an advanced setting in Excel that can interfere with file association opening. Very odd. Click on the office "pearl" (the circle button in the upper-left corner of Excel), then click on "Excel Options." From there, click on "Advanced," scroll down to "General," and uncheck "Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)." (March 21, 2008 - Thanks to Shrivmather, in the comments below, for pointing out a mistake in the preceding paragraph. It has been corrected.)

Screenshot of Excel 2007 settings

I'm not sure I understand entirely why this setting prevents files from opening by association, throwing a "File Not Found" error. Maybe somebody can explain this to me? Well, the solution works, so mystery solved here...

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Comments (38)

38 comments on article "Excel 2007: "Windows Cannot Find " -- but you KNOW the file exists!"

Shrivmather

3/21/2008 4:42 PM

*EXCEL*LENT POSTING!!! I've been spinning my wheels on this and had resigned to reinstalling Excel 2007. Tried the trick and it worked!! Really obscure problem - not too many people seem to experience it.

One NOTE. To get to the ignore DDE check box

Office Perl -> Excel Options (Bottom of the pull menu) -> Click Advanced (this is the missing step), then follow rest of directions as above.

Femke

5/5/2008 8:42 AM

Finally the solution!! Thanks.

Turin

6/23/2008 7:10 PM

Thanks for finding this - I thought I was going insane! Now I just have to figure out why the setting changed on me, since it was working fine before today...

Søren Ørslund

6/25/2008 9:31 AM

Thanx!!! i was also going insane about that problem. I was not on my installaton from start, but suddenly appeared.

Bo

7/18/2008 6:06 PM

Thanx for the solution, I kept searched and found the official explanation: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211494

Which explains the solution - but not how this setting suddenly changes ...

Kind regards
Bo

Eric Lawson

7/24/2008 5:07 PM

thanks to whoever put this page on the net, ive been having this problem for a while and couldnt figure it out, was going to bring my pc back to future shop but decided to come online, thanks!!!

HAHA

8/9/2008 1:57 PM

DUDE YOU LIFESAVER. Been looking for this for ages.....

Sue G

11/4/2008 9:23 AM

I was also experiencing a similar problem with Office 2003. Going to Excel/Tools/Options/General tab and unchecking "Ignore other applications" was the fix. Thanks for the info. I've been searching for this solution for at least 6 months.

Marc S

3/4/2009 1:29 AM

I've used Open office during the time that this bug started the 'file not found'. Any relation to that?

Thanks for the fix. It works fine now.

tiffany

3/13/2009 4:50 AM

I like the windows office better than open office,but one day i will try it.

Pramod Kumar Padamati

3/17/2009 2:47 AM

It felt strange when I saw this problem. And one more Microsoft funny bugs.

I started getting this problem, after I installed Office Live Addon. Not sure if that is related.

Thanks for the solution

Graham W

6/11/2009 5:06 AM

My excel suddenly through up this problem one day for no reason.
I just couldn't work when I had to copy each spreadsheet from email, open excel then open the file. It was driving me mad. You are an absolute life saver. Many thanks.

larthur

6/22/2009 4:28 PM

Thanks for the solution!

larthur

6/22/2009 4:29 PM

Thanks for the solution!

Ivan Li Huang

7/4/2009 1:06 PM

Thanks for the solution. It helped me a lot!!!

San

8/26/2009 10:59 AM

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211494

noralynn

9/19/2009 9:19 AM

I had similar problem but yes thanks to you it did work for me too.

Chris

11/8/2009 6:33 AM

Thank you.

I am always reassured that if I have a problem, someone else has had the same problem before me and the solution will be out there somewhere. This is a classic example.

Thanks you again for finding the solution and solving my problem.

olsontc

12/28/2009 7:44 PM

thanks G, that was awesome, i spent an hour on permissions & going through advanced/trust settings & this was the ticket, thanks, D

Ron

1/20/2010 10:45 AM

Timothy - Thank You for this Post - helped out largely!

Ron

Cris

1/24/2010 7:06 AM

Im happy for you guys, but it still does't work for me...

Lorenzo

2/1/2010 4:44 AM

same problem...thanks for the solution!!!
Lorenzo

rapid4me

2/4/2010 9:44 AM

the solution helped! thanks!

mc

2/12/2010 4:22 PM

i love you.

thanks

3/6/2010 9:11 AM

Have had the same problem since day one, finally fixed it! thanks for the info

Pharod

4/6/2010 9:44 PM

I love this kind of posts... My gratitudes go to you, sir.

Vlad

5/21/2010 7:55 AM

thanks, you made my day

Peter Shaw

5/23/2010 3:40 AM

Had this problem for a long time until I decided to check the net today......thanks a million..

laser spine surgery

7/9/2010 8:59 AM

Thanks a lot. This was one information which I longed to find for myself. Had suffered from similar issues.
Nice sharing.

David

2/15/2011 11:20 AM

Thanks for sharing this. So what changed since yesterday when the #$#$ thing worked? oh, well... that's microsoft for you.

Dennis

10/18/2011 2:20 PM

Thank goodness for your solution, this was getting very frustrating.

Phaedra

11/16/2011 2:51 PM

God bless you! You are a lifesaver!

mohit

10/15/2012 2:13 AM

Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
In Registry Editor, locate the following subkey in the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office
Expand the subkey that corresponds to the earlier version of Excel, and then click the Excel subkey.
Right-click the Excel subkey, and then click Rename.
Type OldExcel, and then press ENTER.
and enjoy

Wichai

11/26/2012 9:31 PM

It's work now. thank you for the solution!!

Lynne

1/14/2013 11:01 PM

Thanks for this post! I tried the regedit but had no Excel subkey under a prior version. The Excel Options worked!

Blindy

2/20/2016 3:42 PM

You have no idea how relieved I am thanks to your wonderful post. I have my business and tax files on Excel. I came back to my computer and notice it had rebooted. However, I could not open any Excel files on my system, not even from the thumb drive. I had assumed that my Excel was corrupted and being the program was installed at the retailer years ago (Vista) I have no idea where the backup nor the file with the access code are and was thinking I would have to go out and buy a new version of Excel. I was totally freaking out; then I saw your post and had noticed that I had the same problem, I could open these files from within Excel (I wouldn't have even thought of that) but not from Windows Explorer. So following you intructions, everything works and you have made my day. I can't thank you enough!ff

wiss

5/19/2016 11:01 AM

Thank you, Very clear and it worked, GOD BLESS

Glenn Rhodes

5/31/2018 10:27 AM

Thanks - worked

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Excel 2007: "Windows Cannot Find " -- but you KNOW the file exists!

Comments (38)

38 comments on article "Excel 2007: "Windows Cannot Find " -- but you KNOW the file exists!"

Shrivmather

Femke

Turin

Søren Ørslund

Bo

Eric Lawson

HAHA

Sue G

Marc S

tiffany

Pramod Kumar Padamati

Graham W

larthur

larthur

Ivan Li Huang

San

noralynn

Chris

olsontc

Ron

Cris

Lorenzo

rapid4me

mc

thanks

Pharod

Vlad

Peter Shaw

laser spine surgery

David

Dennis

Phaedra

mohit

Wichai

Lynne

Blindy

wiss

Glenn Rhodes

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