Excel error

[Blair_062]

Excel is starting but I'm getting a blank page instead of document selected, happening on all Excel documents I open

[#2]

@Blair_062 

Experiencing a blank page when opening Excel documents can be frustrating, but there are several potential solutions to this issue. Try the following steps to resolve the problem:

1. Restart Excel: Close Excel completely and then reopen it. Sometimes, this can clear temporary glitches.
2. Check for Updates: Ensure that you have the latest updates installed for your version of Excel. Microsoft frequently releases updates that address bugs and improve performance.
3. Disable Add-Ins: Add-ins can sometimes conflict with Excel. Try opening Excel in Safe Mode, which disables all add-ins, to see if the issue persists:
• Press Win + R, type excel.exe /safe, and press Enter.
• If Excel opens without the blank page, it indicates an add-in is causing the problem. You can then disable add-ins one by one to identify the culprit.
4. Repair Office Installation: If the issue persists, you can try repairing your Office installation:
• Close Excel.
• Go to the Control Panel.
• Select "Programs" > "Programs and Features."
• Locate Microsoft Office, right-click it, and select "Change."
• Choose "Quick Repair" or "Online Repair" and follow the on-screen instructions.
5. Reset Excel Settings: You can try resetting Excel's settings to their default state:
• Close Excel.
• Press Win + R, type excel.exe /unregserver, and press Enter.
• Then, press Win + R again, type excel.exe /regserver, and press Enter.
• Open Excel to see if the issue is resolved.
6. Check for Third-Party Software Conflicts: Third-party software, particularly screen capture or screen-sharing software, can sometimes interfere with Excel. Temporarily disable or uninstall any such software to see if it resolves the issue.
7. Create a New User Profile: There may be an issue with your user profile. You can try creating a new Windows user profile and see if Excel works correctly in the new profile.
8. Check for Corrupted Documents: Test whether the issue occurs with a new, blank Excel document. If it does not, the problem may be specific to certain documents. Check if those documents open correctly on another computer.
9. System Restore (Windows): If the issue started recently, you can use System Restore to revert your system to a previous state when Excel was working correctly.
10. Reinstall Microsoft Office: As a last resort, you can consider uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Office. Ensure you have your Office product key or Microsoft account credentials handy before doing this.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, it may be helpful for further assistance to give more information’s about your Excel version, operating system, storage medium, etc. The text and steps were edited with the help of AI.

My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

Hope this will help you.

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[#3]

@Blair_062 

Does this happen when you open a workbook from within Excel, or only when you double-click a workbook in File Explorer?

If the latter:

• Select File > Options.
• Select Advanced.
• Scroll down to the General section.
• Make sure that the check box 'Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)' is clear (not ticked).

[#4]

@Hans Vogelaar 

Thanks for your reply, I have the second issue you mentioned, I have checked your recommendations and the check box was unselected, according to Microsoft Help there is an issue that is causing this that they are working on, 

Cheers

[#5]

Hi, I started Excel in safe mode and got this message, "The operating system is not presently configured to run this application" I get the same message when I try to open Excel from my original desktop shortcut, a new desktop shortcut opens Excel but the same issue occurs, I can only open documents from the Excel application.
Hope this helps

[#6]

Hi again, same message with unregserver, "This operating system is not presently configured to run this application"

[#7]

@Blair_062 

If you have already tried multiple troubleshooting steps without success. When you have exhausted most of the standard troubleshooting options and the issue persists, it may be indicative of a more complex problem. Here are a few additional steps you can consider:

Check Event Viewer Logs:

Check the Windows Event Viewer for any error or warning messages related to Excel or Microsoft Office. These logs may provide more specific details about the issue.

Run Office in Safe Mode:

Try running Excel in Safe Mode with administrative privileges. Open a Command Prompt with admin rights and run the following command:

excel /safe

This will start Excel in Safe Mode, bypassing any add-ins or customizations. If it opens without errors, it could be related to an add-in or customization.

Temporary Profile:

There might be an issue with your user profile. Although you mentioned trying it on another user profile, it is worth checking if the problem occurs with a completely new, temporary Windows user profile. This would help rule out profile-related issues.

Check for System Integrity:

Run a system integrity check using the DISM and sfc /scannow commands to ensure that Windows system files are intact.

dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth

Update Graphics Drivers:

Ensure that your graphics drivers are up to date. Outdated or corrupted graphics drivers can sometimes lead to display issues.

Check for System Security Policies:

If you are in a corporate environment, there may be group policies or security settings that could affect the behavior of Office applications. Contact your IT department for assistance in this case.

Consider a Fresh Windows Installation:

If the issue remains unresolved and you have ruled out hardware problems, you might consider performing a clean Windows installation. This is a more drastic step and should only be done as a last resort. Be sure to back up your data before proceeding.

[#8]

Hi, thanks for your reply,
I have checked Event Viewer logs and can't find any warnings,
A command prompt with Admin rights won't open Excel in safe mode, 'excel' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file."
System integrity check didn't find any faults, chkdsk /r did find and fix faults.
Microsoft are investigating as this is effecting other people also.
Thanks for your help

[#9]

@Blair_062 

All methods I was gonna suggest are already mentioned by others.

So I'd say you refer to this article once if your issue is not resolved about Excel opening a blank workbook.