Forum Discussion
Excel opening multiple instances
Hi
A customers of our has an issue with opening excel files.
There using a startup folder with an Excel file inside who always has to startup because other excel files are using the data that's inside the startup file. This file is stored onto a server with Windows Server 2022 installed.
path: \\WSS22\startupExcell\startup.xlsx
Everytime we open an Excel files multiple instances are starting therefore we get the error message that startup.xlsx is allready open and can only start in readonly mode.
The taskmanager looks like this:
It seems to only occur with startup.xlsx, if I set if invisible and turn on a test.xlsx in that startup folder Excel is working correctly with only 1 instance.
Hopefully you can help me look for the problem.
With friendly regards
2 Replies
he issue you're describing with multiple Excel instances opening when accessing startup.xlsx seems to be related to the way the file is being opened from the startup folder. Here are some potential solutions and troubleshooting steps:
1. Disable Automatic Opening of Startup Folder Files:
- On Windows Server 2022, go to Group Policy Editor.
- Navigate to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > File Explorer.
- Double-click on the "Turn off automatic startup folder file processing at logon" policy and set it to Enabled.
- This will prevent files in the startup folder from automatically opening when the user logs in.
2. Use a Script to Open the File:
- Create a script (e.g., batch or PowerShell) that opens startup.xlsx in a single instance.
- Within the script, use the /single or /e command-line switch with the excel.exe command to force a single instance.
- Schedule the script to run at startup using Task Scheduler.
3. Explore Alternative Data Sharing Methods:
- Consider using alternative methods to share the data in startup.xlsx with other Excel files, such as:
- Linking to specific ranges within startup.xlsx from other workbooks.
- Using a central database or shared folder to store the data and access it from multiple Excel files.
4. Investigate Excel Add-ins:
- If any add-ins are loaded in Excel, temporarily disable them to see if they might be interfering with single instance behavior.
5. Check File Permissions:
- Ensure that users have the necessary read-only permissions on startup.xlsx to avoid conflicts when opening it from multiple locations.
Additional Tips:
- Monitor Task Manager: Keep an eye on Task Manager to identify any additional Excel processes opening and investigate their cause.
- Consult Microsoft Support: If none of these solutions work, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance with troubleshooting the issue specific to your environment.
By trying these suggestions, you should be able to identify the root cause of the multiple instance issue and implement a solution that allows users to access startup.xlsx without encountering the "read-only mode" error.
- Perhaps you should reconsider the way the other files are "using" that data, maybe by using Powerquery instead of direct formule references.
