Excel 2007 problem opening xlsx files when iCloud control panel is installed

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Excel 2007 problem opening xlsx files when iCloud control panel is installed

Hi,

I'm having some trouble openening an Excel 2007 ".xlsx" file on a PC running Win7 (both German versions) using the file selector (menu > Open...).

Reproduction steps: Open Excel, save the (default, empty) file as ".xlsx" in any location on your disk. Then, close Excel (e.g. by pressing Alt-F4). Afterwards, open a new (clean) Excel instance. Use the Excel menu (via the "Office icon" > "Open" - or "Ctrl-O") to open the file chooser dialog. Navigate to the previously saved (empty) file and click "Open". Doing so, I get the following (German) error message:

"Von Excel wurde unlesbarer Inhalt in 'Mappe1.xlsx' gefunden. Möchten Sie den Inhalt dieser Arbeitsmappe wiederherstellen? Wenn Sie der Quelle dieser Arbeitsmappe vertrauen, klicken Sie 'Ja'."

(Something like "Excel found unreadable content in 'Mappe1.xlsx'. Do you want to restore the content of this file? ..." - Sorry, I don't know the exact English wording.)

This behavior is reproducible and happens to occur on multiple PCs, Windows 7 32 and 64 bit, all Excel 2007. (Funny detail: The problem does not occur if I open the file using the shortcut from the list of recently used files.)

The really interesting fact is now: As soon as I uninstall the "iCloud control panel", Excel works as expected and does not report this error any longer!

Afterwards I downloaded a fresh version of iCloud 2.0 (19.09.2012) and reinstalled it - and the error occurs again as before.

Reasons enough for me to suspect the iCould control panel causing this problem.

Unfortunately this does not only cause trouble with such trivial files, but also with some "real world" files. :-(

Any ideas how this can be fixed?

Armin

Windows 7, Excel 2007 SP 3

Posted on Nov 14, 2012 6:52 PM

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Answer 1

Jan 18, 2013 12:22 PM in response to ArminL

Hello!

I have exactly same problem. And removal of iCloud had the same impact as you described. Have you been able to find a solution? This is really bugging!!!

Michel.

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Answer 2

Jan 23, 2013 6:57 AM in response to Micvallee

Try renaming the shellstreams.dll file in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\InternetServices.

The following blog talks about this.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/emeaoffice/archive/2012/11/29/you-may-receive-quot-un readable-content-quot-when-opening-files-from-within-excel-2007-if-you-have-a-sh ellstreams-dll-file.aspx

What is(are) the version(s) of the shellstreams.dll file on the affected systems?

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Answer 3

Jan 23, 2013 7:51 AM in response to JerryGYoungII

Thank you,

I have renamed the file ShellStreams.dll to ShellStreams.old as suggested and apparently the xlsx files now open correctly.

However I am wondering what is the impact of this renaming? What other Apple application is impacted? Can you clarify?

Michel

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Answer 4

Csound1

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Jan 23, 2013 7:52 AM in response to Micvallee

Apple applications are not affected by changes in Boot Camp, only Windows applications live there.

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Answer 5

Jan 23, 2013 8:06 AM in response to Csound1

What's Boot Camp?

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Answer 6

Csound1

Level 9

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Jan 23, 2013 8:15 AM in response to Micvallee

Micvallee wrote:

What's Boot Camp?

How are you running Windows on a Mac? ...... VM or Boot Camp?

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Answer 7

Jan 23, 2013 8:21 AM in response to Csound1

I have a PC running Windows 7

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Answer 8

Csound1

Level 9

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Jan 23, 2013 8:22 AM in response to Micvallee

Micvallee wrote:

I have a PC running Windows 7

Then off you go to Microsofts forums, these are for Macintoshes, specifically Boot Camp installations.

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Answer 9

Jan 23, 2013 8:29 AM in response to Csound1

shellstreams.dll is a DLL written and provided by Apple, and it's related to iCloud. I see nothing wrong with the conversation being held here. If you don't have a solution, or are unable to provide insight, there is no need to comment.

These are not the droids you're looking for. Move along.

Micvallee,

I don't know the answer to your question. I just recently ran across this issue myself and reached out here, like you did, to see if anyone else were having similar issues. As I understand it, though, that DLL is for a context menu addition when right clicking a file - presumably for uploading (syncing) with Photo Stream. It's also the 32-bit version.

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Answer 10

Csound1

Level 9

60,033 points

Jan 23, 2013 8:33 AM in response to JerryGYoungII

These are not the droids you're looking for. Move along.

You think too much of yourself, I will make my own decisions, not yours.

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Answer 11

Jan 23, 2013 8:42 AM in response to JerryGYoungII

OKJerryGYoung. Thank you for the info.

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Answer 12

Jan 23, 2013 8:46 AM in response to Csound1

Well, given you had said this was a forum for Boot Camp installations, and given that these discussions are actually located in Apple Support Communities > iCloud > iCloud on my PC > Discussions, I was just trying to help ya out by saying you were in the wrong forum.

Glad you can make your own decisions, though. Rock on, Csound1!

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Answer 13

neskito

Level 1

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Mar 18, 2013 4:34 AM in response to ArminL

The Problem can be fixed when you reinstall iCloud Version 2.x and install the older version 1.1 .

Everything works after that!!!

Whyever: No one responded my Question if iCloud Version 2.1.1 has fixed the problem.

I can't be bothered to try it again. My excel-sheet has been destroyed, on some data the position after decimal point was killed - so I got wrong results. So it is a plain error from apple -- and no one will correct this.

It's a shame.

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Answer 14

ArminL Author

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Mar 18, 2013 4:59 AM in response to JerryGYoungII

JerryGYoungII wrote:

Try renaming the shellstreams.dll file in C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\InternetServices.

The following blog talks about this.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/emeaoffice/archive/2012/11/29/you-may-receive-quot-un readable-content-quot-when-opening-files-from-within-excel-2007-if-you-have-a-s h ellstreams-dll-file.aspx

What is(are) the version(s) of the shellstreams.dll file on the affected systems?

Just tried to reproduce the effect with iCloud 2.1.1: And yes,the problem still exists.

Version number (Properties > Details) of "C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Apple\Internet Services\ShellStreams.dll" is 7.7.1.3.

Renaming "ShellStreams.dll" to e.g. "ShellStreams-off.dll" makes the problem disappear, but I wonder which side effects this could have.

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