Mavericks, MS Excel (2008), Dock

Question

Mavericks, MS Excel (2008), Dock

In the Dock, I keep a link to one of my MS Excel (2008) spreadsheets. I've had this for years, and through many OS upgrades. A simple click on the item in the Dock launches Excel and the file opens. Since upgrading to Mavericks, the Dock link (even after having changed the link) now causes Excel to open a copy of the original file, with a slightly altered name (a numerical suffix). This didn't become noticeable until Saving changes - because of the new name, Save becomes, essentially, Save as..

If I open the spreadsheet from its file location (double click the file within the Finder window), the file opens properly (i.e. not a copy, not a new name).

I tried to create a similar situation with files from other applications. They all perform properly. It would seem that Excel is the only app (yet discovered) that has this very unique Dock-related problem.

If you are an Excel user, please report here if you have noticed or otherwise found the same behaviour; or if your tests open the original document properly.

73, Brian

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9), 3.2 GHz Quad Xeon w/6 GB RAM; PLUS

Posted on Oct 24, 2013 2:19 PM

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Answer 1

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Oct 24, 2013 2:26 PM in response to Brian Williams2

Your're not talking to Apple here, just other users like yourself.

If you like you can file feedback here.

But since other applications work as expected, it seems the problem lies with Excel and you should be directing this question to the Microsoft boards?

EDIT: Does the same behavior happen when you create new aliases from the correct file?

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Answer 2

Oct 24, 2013 2:51 PM in response to macjack

I am well aware that I am not talking to Apple here. Note that the question was posed to Mac Excel users who have moved up to Mavericks, in order to determine whether it is a problem uniquely here in my machine, or if it is widespread. Once that is determined, a direction for further investigation will have been identified.

With regards to your EDIT question: Perhaps it wasn't clear when I wrote:"...the Dock link (even after having changed the link) now causes Excel to open a copy..." Not only did I re-establish the link (drag original file to the Dock), I also created an alias, and dragged the alias to the Dock, thus creating a link to the alias. The end result was the same - a copy of the original file, complete with a new name, was opened.

Yes, the problem seems unique to Excel, and yes, perhaps, it is Excel where the problem exists, but when troubleshooting, one should always start with the most recent change, and in my case, that is OS 10.9. My post is to determine if others are having a similar experience.

73, Brian

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Answer 3

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Oct 25, 2013 6:31 AM in response to Brian Williams2

Ok, I'm bumping your post so you have a better shot at finding out if others are experiencing the same.

I had Office 2008 running on my Mac with Mavs until just recently when I decided to uninstall Office move to all iWork. I never used the feature you described so can't comment on it and I can't test it now because I no longer have Office on 10.9.

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Answer 4

Oct 25, 2013 4:34 PM in response to macjack

Hello, I'm not sure what 'bumping' the post means specifically, but I like the intent that you described.

I once thought that Numbers might be able to replace Excel, but my decades-old spreadsheet, which gets updated daily with certain financial information, has many, many complex formulae that Numbers has yet to support. I have discovered, however, that LibreOffice seems fully compatible wth Excel. I seldom use Word anymore (used Pages, but have now LibreOffice.... Keynote long ago replaced Power Point. I've not yet explored LibreOffice's functionality for presentations. As yet, Apple Mail remains somewhat dismal, and I continue to use Entourage as my main mail app; however Thunderbird looks to be a possibility to replace Entourage.

Thanks for taking an interest in my investigation of this latest Excel 'feature' introduced with the upgrade to Mavericks.

73, Brian

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Answer 5

bill1958

Level 1

0 points

Oct 27, 2013 4:43 AM in response to Brian Williams2

Hi

I upgraded to 10.9 yesterday and have exactaly the same problem with an Excel spreadshheet that, like you, has financial information and is updated daily. Only solution so far is to open the document from the folder it is in and it saves ok, however as soon as you open it from the dock the problem arises.

One step forward, two steps back!

B

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Answer 6

Oct 27, 2013 7:16 AM in response to bill1958

Thanks for this report. Subsequently, I noticed another anomoly. I also continue to use Entourage, and I have a link to it in my Dock. If I click the Entourage Dock link, Entourage opens with a new message window. If selecting from Applications, Entourage opens normally (i.e. no new message window). I'm going to tria LibreOffice spreadsheet more diligently and if all works properly, I'll leave Excel behind; and I'll explore Thunderbird more deeply and put Entourage to rest. That will be the end of the MS Office suite for me (since I have already abandoned Word and PowerPoint). Oh, I should mention another solution here. I also use XMenu, and use a custom have put Excel and Entourage aliases in the custom menu. These menus are very much like the Apple menu was before the advent of the Dock, and in many ways are better - especially for quick access to all documents and applications.

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Answer 7

Oct 28, 2013 9:27 AM in response to Brian Williams2

I'm having the same trouble with Excel files so I hope a solution is found. I also notice that when I open Entourage from the dock, it starts me off with a new email. So, I suspect that launching MS files and apps from the dock is automatically launching a new version of what ever you're opening. Just tried launching a saved Word doc from the dock and had similar issues. Ugh.

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Answer 8

micj

Level 1

18 points

Oct 28, 2013 11:39 AM in response to Brian Williams2

Same problem with Excel 2008 and dock links, here. You are not alone and I threre are a couple other threads describing the same issue.

With regard to the suggestion that we should be talking with MS not Apple. This was not an issue with the previous version of OSX and has appeared with the release of Mavericks. Therefore, I see it as an Apple OS issue not a MS issue.

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Answer 9

Oct 28, 2013 12:33 PM in response to Brian Williams2

I am experiancing the same issue as well. Excel 2008 and it started as soon as I upgraded to 10.9.

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Answer 10

kjab5

Level 1

0 points

Oct 29, 2013 4:36 PM in response to Brian Williams2

Same issue as the OP since the upgrade.

The only work around I could come up with so far has been to place the file alias into a folder and drag the folder to the dock. It will then open as you would expect.

For some reason if the file alias is on the dock (directly) and not in a folder the excel file will open with a numerical suffix.

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Answer 11

Colincox

Level 1

0 points

Oct 29, 2013 9:49 PM in response to Brian Williams2

I too have this problem with both Word 2004 and Excel 2004. Sems it's anothe problem created by Mavericks.

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Answer 12

Colincox

Level 1

0 points

Oct 29, 2013 10:09 PM in response to kjab5

This worked for me. Thanks.

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Answer 13

Oct 30, 2013 7:04 AM in response to Brian Williams2

Has anyone had this happen with Office 2011? I'm finally considering upgrading. I've been perfectly content with 2008 until this dock issue came up. And now I realize it's probably time to upgrade.

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Answer 14

Oct 30, 2013 2:58 PM in response to Laura Prescott

I don't have Office 2011 to try, but this definitely is a problem for me as well since updating to 10.9. My boss is breathing down my neck to fix it, but I haven't come up with anything yet. I don't see an updates from Microsoft, unfortunately.

The best workaround may be to put aliases to files in a folder and then put that folder in the Dock. Extra steps, but it'd maybe placate my boss until someone fixes this obvious bug.

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Answer 15

Nov 1, 2013 12:18 AM in response to Brian Williams2

I'm having exactly the same problem with Entourage 2008, Brian, and I see others are as well. Perhaps OS 10.9.1 will fix the issue or Microsoft will release an update for Office 2008. I'm not a fan of Office 2011 so I hope either of the two scenarios comes to pass quickly.

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