Urgent Excel help required...

Lifeisbutadream

I hope that someone can help me.

I use excel for customer files for my business and something has happened which is stopping me from being able to open my files properly.

I looked into trying to phone microsoft but there is a charge of £46! I dont even know whether they will be able to help me either becsaue last time I rang (about something else) they didnt understand what I meant and so couldnt help.

Before I open the documents which have a problem, they are showing as XLS FIle, rather than Excel FIle. I tried opening them as Excel, and I can see the file, but I can do anything with it except close it down. I have tried copying the files and opening them under WOrd, but it doesnt work.

I am absoluetly desperate, as I have no other way of seeing this information!

Also, because of lack of understanding I have no copies of anything, apart from back ups which I havent done for a month.

Thanks in anticipation for anyone who may be able to help.

davetrousers

What version are you using?

I thought that .xls was the normal file type (for 2003) and .xlsx was normal for 2007.

Could you download openoffice and try that?

Lifeisbutadream

Its 2007.

How do I download openoffice?

How do I post a screenshot? it is definately not normal what I am seeing

EagerLearner

If a file ends in '.xls' is an Excel file, that's ok.

You cannot open an Excel spreadsheet with Word, as Word is intended only for letters etc, rather than spreadsheets. Word documents end in '.doc'.

What happens if you first open Excel, then go File > Open and select then open the spreadsheet?

What happens if you don't open Excel, and just double click on the spreadsheet?

davetrousers

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

How do I download openoffice?

let me google that for you

Lifeisbutadream

EagerLearner wrote: »

If a file ends in '.xls' is an Excel file, that's ok.

Sorry - I am not an expert, but I don't see the .xls at the end (I think because its Windows Vista?) I just see the 'type' which showed as XLS file on some files. It allows me to 'open as' an excel file, but then I can't do anything with it (i.e. I can't view any sheets within the file)

You cannot open an Excel spreadsheet with Word, as Word is intended only for letters etc, rather than spreadsheets. Word documents end in '.doc'.

I needed to be able to look at the files - even if I can just view it it will help as I then print or copy - I was depsperately trying anything!!

What happens if you first open Excel, then go File > Open and select then open the spreadsheet?

Ahh!! it has let me open it!

What happens if you don't open Excel, and just double click on the spreadsheet?

Thats when it seems to stick - could that be the problem?

.................

Lifeisbutadream

davetrousers wrote: »

let me google that for you

Thanks - I tried that, but it just wanted money I thought you maybe knew something I didnt.

MX5huggy

It does not want money open office is free.

Lifeisbutadream

MX5huggy wrote: »

It does not want money open office is free.

I couldnt download without it asking which option I wanted (there wasnt a free one that I could see)

Reggie_Rebel

http://www.openoffice.org/

Try copying your files to another location, then renaming them as .csv files and see if you can open them.

Obvious questions are:
1 - Is your copy of excel legit?
2 - is it a trial version that has expired?

davetrousers

Lifeisbutadream wrote: »

..............but I don't see the .xls at the end (I think because its Windows Vista?)

Don't know about vista but in XP, it is the default setting to hide (not display ) extensions for known file types!

Go to (something like) Tools, Folder Options, then to view then scroll down and uncheck the box that says Hide extensions for known file types.