Excel 2021 Opens 2nd / Subsequent File from Explorer Slowly

[Dan_WangDanWang]

 I met a similar issue as mentioned in the below post, and the solution really works for me.  me. https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/excel-opens-2nd-subsequent-file-from-explorer...

Questions are： 

1- Will the fix be included in future Excel products?  ( I tested with version Microsoft Excel 2021MSO (Version 2308 Build 16.0.16731.20052) 64-bit on Win11 & Win10, the issue is still there.  ) 

2- And why by default the registry value is empty? Will the solution cause Excel unstable?

[#2 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Dan_WangDanWang,

o answer your questions:

1. Microsoft has not yet announced whether the fix for the slow opening of second and subsequent Excel files from Explorer will be included in future Excel products. However, they have acknowledged the issue and are investigating a fix.
2. The registry value is empty by default because it is not necessary for most users. Setting the registry value can speed up the opening of second and subsequent Excel files from Explorer, but it is not guaranteed to work for all users and may cause Excel instability in some cases.

Recommendation:

If you are experiencing the slow opening of second and subsequent Excel files from Explorer, you can try setting the registry value. However, proceed with caution and back up your registry before making any changes.

To set the registry value, follow these steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\CurrentVersion\Options

1. Right-click on the Options key and select New > DWORD Value.
2. Name the new value DisableDynamicDataExchange and press Enter.
3. Double-click on the DisableDynamicDataExchange value and enter a value of 1 in the Value data field.
4. Click OK to close the Registry Editor.
5. Restart Excel.

If you experience any problems after setting the registry value, you can reset it to its default value by following the steps above and entering a value of 0 in the Value data field.

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Kindest regards,

Leon Pavesic

[#3]

@LeonPavesic 

Thanks so much, Leon! Your answers are exactly what I'm looking for :)

Just curious, that your recommendation (New value “DisableDynamicDataExchange“ under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\CurrentVersion\Options) is different than what was suggested in the previous post (change the value of "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.8\shell\Open\ddeexec" to "[open("%1" /ou "%u")]" )

Did both of them have the same mechanism?

[#4]

Hi @Dan_WangDanWang,

Yes, both of the solutions you mentioned have the same mechanism: they both disable Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) for opening Excel files from Explorer.

DDE is a feature of Microsoft Windows that allows applications to exchange data with each other. It is often used to open and update files from other applications. However, DDE can also be used by malware to launch attacks.

Disabling DDE can help to improve security and performance, especially when opening Excel files from Explorer. However, it is important to note that disabling DDE can also cause some legitimate applications to stop working properly.

The two solutions you mentioned differ in how they disable DDE:

- The first solution, changing the value of "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.8\shell\Open\ddeexec", is a more targeted solution that only disables DDE for Excel files.

- The second solution, creating a new registry value "DisableDynamicDataExchange" under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Excel\CurrentVersion\Options, is a more general solution that disables DDE for all Office applications.

Please click Mark as Best Response & Like if my post helped you to solve your issue.
This will help others to find the correct solution easily. It also closes the item.

If the post was useful in other ways, please consider giving it Like.

Kindest regards,

Leon Pavesic

[#5]

Thanks Leon！ Very clear explanation. Appreciate your help.