EXCEL OPENING A SECOND FILE AS COPY OF

[Harold_W490]

I have read several threads and tried all the suggestions I found.

Windows 11 Uninstalled and reinstalled by Computer tech

Office 365 Uninstalled and reinstalled by Computer Tech

No sharing

No second user

Home PC with one user...me

When I open an excel file <Harry.xlsx> located in My Documents a second files opens immediately <Copy of Harry.xlsx>.

Harry,xlsx is password protected and opens and works when password is entered.

Copy of Harry.xlsx opens password protected. (I can enter password or cancel)

If I cancel the original copy works

If I enter the password the copy disappears and leaves me with the original which works. 

How do I stop this second file from popping up every time?  

No other XLSX file in My Documents does this.

This issue is unique to a passworded Excel file

When I created a second passworded excel file it does the same thing.

This only started last month (March 2024).

I have taken the laptop to the Computer tech; no virus found, no issues found, software reinstalled.

Is there a fix? TY

[#2]

@Harold_W490 

Did you try to copy from content only and create a password for the protection?

[#3]

@Kidd_Ip 

Yes, I did.  

I may have figured it out.  It appears this issue is only happening when the preview pane is on.

I have turned off the preview pane and the issue is gone...thus far..

It may be prompting me for a second password to see the workbook in the preview pane.

TY