Microsoft Office 2008 issues. Help. Excel not opening and other issues!

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Level 2

202 points

Microsoft Office 2008 issues. Help. Excel not opening and other issues!

I converted to Lion on day one. I was able to use Microsoft Office 2008 without problem for days, then, just today, every time I go to open an excel file it opens, closes, then gives me the option of sending error reports to Microsoft. Word opens fine. The program is totally up to date (just did the 12.3 update). I repaired disk permissions, restarted the computer twice. Still, the same things happen. Here is the message I get for the Microsoft Excell Error Report:

Error Signature:

Exception: EXC_BAD_ACCESS

Date/Time: 2011-07-25 00:43:45 +0000

Application Name: Microsoft Excel

Application Bundle ID: com.microsoft.Excel

Application Signature: XCEL

Application Version: 12.3.0.110427

Crashed Module Name: unknown

Crashed Module Version: unknown

Crashed Module Offset: unknown

Blame Module Name: unknown

Blame Module Version: unknown

Blame Module Offset: unknown

Application LCID: 1033

Extra app info: Reg=en Loc=0x0409

Crashed thread: 0

OTHER ISSUES

The other thing that happens is that whether on Word or Excel when I click on a file to open it, it keeps trying to open all the recent files from that program intead of *just the ONE* that I want it to open. I also notice on Safari that when I reopen the program it opens ALL the websites I recently visited even though I don't have that checked as a preference... What gives??????????

Any suggestions. I am freakingout here, really need to get into these documents.

Alum iMac 24, Mac OS X (10.6.4), a mac guy since 1986

Posted on Jul 24, 2011 5:53 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 24, 2011 5:55 PM in response to bikinijack

If you were able to use it without issue after you installed Lion, then the problem is with Office, not Lion, therefore you should post your question MIcrosfot's own forums for their Mac software as Apple Communities only provide support for Apple products: http://www.officeformac.com/productforums

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Answer 2

bikinijack Author

Level 2

202 points

Jul 24, 2011 6:03 PM in response to Templeton Peck

That is really not the answer I was looking for. I have used Microsoft Office 2008 since inception and never had this problem until I updated to Lion. So it is a problem as a result of the update. As I said, when Excel was working it kept trying to open every single file I had opened with Excel or Word since the Lion update, that, to me, is not a Microsoft problem it is a Lion problem.

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Answer 3

Mac7d

Level 1

50 points

Jul 24, 2011 6:05 PM in response to bikinijack

Hi there.

This sound awfull like an issue with the resume function in OSX Lion.

This can be adjusted in system settings under general.

See:

http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/18/disable-mac-os-x-lion-resume-window-restore/

Hope this solves your problems.

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Answer 4

bikinijack Author

Level 2

202 points

Jul 24, 2011 6:39 PM in response to Mac7d

Thanks for the suggestion. I deslected this item, but I am still experiencing the same sort of wild reopening of numerous Word and Excel documents. Word will open in the end, Excel just crashes.

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Answer 5

bikinijack Author

Level 2

202 points

Jul 24, 2011 7:29 PM in response to bikinijack

Okay, I have it so Word will only open the document I am clicking on. What can I do about Excel? Is there a preference I can trash to try to get this program back on track? It continues to wildly try to open Excel documents regardless on the document I select, then it just crashes...

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Answer 6

Jul 24, 2011 7:35 PM in response to bikinijack

This sounds like it might be a corrupted .plist file.

Open a Finder window then pull down Go > Go To Folder. Type "~/Library/Preferences" (without the quotations) and hit Enter. Scroll down in the window and find the file named "com.microsoft.excel.plist" and move it to the trash. Don't empty the trash. Now launch Excel again. Let us know what happens.

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Answer 7

bikinijack Author

Level 2

202 points

Jul 24, 2011 7:52 PM in response to Michael Allbritton

Thanks for your response Michael. I trashed (though did not empty the trash) the plist file. Same thing happens, it tries to open a bunch of documents, then just freezes. I noticed in the library there is also a file named "com.microsoft.Excel.plist.lockfile"...

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Answer 8

Jul 24, 2011 7:55 PM in response to bikinijack

I have one of those files as well, but I don't think it has anything to do with the problem. Although it certainly wouldn't hurt to move that to the trash as well and re-launch Excel.

Have you tried repairing permissions on the HDD?

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Answer 9

bikinijack Author

Level 2

202 points

Jul 24, 2011 8:20 PM in response to Michael Allbritton

I tried repairing permissions early on and just did it again, also rebooted computer after each of those, still the same problem... This is a tough one...

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Answer 10

Jul 24, 2011 8:27 PM in response to bikinijack

I'm not sure if this will work, but let's try repairing the disk.

Restart while holding down CMD+S.

When you get to the command prompt type "fsck -f" (without the quotations) and hit Return.

Let this run.

If it tells you the file system was modified do it again until you don't see that message again.

Type "reboot" and hit enter to restart.

Give that a try and let us know what happens with Excel.

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Answer 11

bikinijack Author

Level 2

202 points

Jul 24, 2011 9:03 PM in response to Michael Allbritton

Thanks for helping me with this, Michael. I did the fsck -f and it checked everything and then just said the Mac HD was okay, so I rebooted. Excel is still scrambled eggs trying to wildly reboot everything I have opened today and then freezing so I have to use the CMD/OPT/ESC to put it down... What else?

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Answer 12

Jul 24, 2011 9:07 PM in response to bikinijack

Ok, I think we may have been approaching this wrong. Perhaps this has something to do with the new Resume feature. Open SysPrefs > General and see if the option to "restore windows when quitting and re-opening apps" is selected. If it is deselect it then launch Excel again.

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