Extra Ghost Excel Screen

Copper Contributor

Recurring problem on several computers on several versions of MS Excel. Latest is version 2016. I often times get an extra full-screen blank excel. It's completely a blank frame not a blank sheet.

 

It interferes especially when trying to type formulas. I cannot close it because it is not considered a file but the application.  I have looked for personal.xlsb, which I don't have in any startup folder.  I have turned on and off DDE. I have done a full scrape off and reinstall and the behavior continues.

The only work around that works is to open the laptop monitor so I can move it out of the way.  However, it will continue to get in the way.  If I reboot i can go a while without experiencing it, but it always comes back to haunt me.

8 Replies

Phantom Window Cover Task Bar.JPGPhantom Window Cover.JPG

Did you find any solution for this issue?

Adding @Prash Shirolkar who might know what it is

Hi Melanie

Does your workbook have Macros? It might be a window that is there to support that process?

Are you able to upload a sample so we can see?

Cheers
Damien

Well, I didn't have any of the personal.xls or other macros in any of the books.

 

However, it occurred to me that it was jumping to whatever monitior had the active window.  I downloaded the new NVIDIA driver package - the big one, not the minor push updates - and haven't seen it since.  That was only two days ago.

 

I was several versions of the software behind.

I am crossing my fingers, but I started to notice a 'flash' related to duplicating windows and viewing on different screens.  I updated my NVIDIA driver to the new package - the full packages don't seem to come over push mechanisms. And I have not seen the problem in the days since I upgraded.

 

 

I've had this problem also . . .

I've tried all the various "things to try" that many people have posted here and elsewhere . . . all to no avail.  No matter what I tried, the 'ghost' was always there IF I opened Excel full-screen (i.e. maximized).  If I had foresight of mind to close Excel non-maximized, then when I'd re-open it things were fine (no ghost).

 

BUT . . . . what DID work for me . . . was setting the properties for the Excel icon (on my Quick Launch Bar, would be same for your desktop app-launch icon) to "Run As Administrator" . . . see attached screen-shot.

 

@Melanie Tomitsch 

We had the same issue for over a year now but today my colleague has found the solution to this issue.

 

In our environment we have Ivanti / RES One running on Windows 10. This software blocks the Excel Add-Ins like Solver Add-In and Analysis Toolkit which Excel want to open in a hidden Excel worksheet.

 

In our case the solution is adding a REG-key / string under:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\RES\Workspace Manager\

with

Value name : AllowExcelMinimized

Value data : yes