Unable to LAUNCH Excel spreadsheets. 2

[scowen]

OS=Win 98
Office 97
Lotus Notes = 5.0.6

When the user receives an email with an Excel spreadhseet attached, if user tries to launch the spreadsheet from the email user gets the error message.

"Unable to Locate Program"

If the user re-makes the association between Excel spread sheets and excel then the problem goes away for the day.

Next day the problem returns.

Excel spreadsheets can be launched outside Lotus Notes not a problem.

Anyone come across this before? Any suggestion?

Thanks

Simon

 

[pmonett]

When you say "the next day", does the user try to launch an Excel sheet in the Explorer by double-clicking the file BEFORE trying to launch it in Notes ?

Generally speaking, this is normally not a Notes problem, it is an OS issue. Notes WILL launch the associated program if the association exists. If the association disappears every morning, then it is the OS on the PC that needs checking.

Pascal.

 

[scowen]

I suppose my saying next day means that at night the users (yes there are a growing number now) turn off their pc's and when they turn on next morning the problem has returned. The problem described only exists in Lotus Notes and not outside it. Documents can be launched outside succesfully but NOT the first time inside lotus notes from an attachment. Even though launching works successfully outside lotus notes, it wont work inside until you re-make the association. Once you have made the association it will work until the next day.

)

Does that explain it a bit better?

Simon

 

[pmonett]

So if I get your meaning, users can return the next day, start up their PCs, launch Excel files from the Explorer, from the desktop, from their Recent file list, and once they've done all that (proving that the association exists), they start Notes and can't launch the attachment.

Could you confirm that users can launch files from the Explorer BEFORE starting Notes ?

Pascal.

 

[scowen]

Hi Pmonett (Thanks for responding)

You are getting closer.

The user comes in and can launch ALL spreadsheets with Excel without any problem. BUT if they try to launch an attached spreadsheet from inside Lotus Notes it will not launch UNTIL the user has remade the association between a spreadsheet and Excel. This is then fine for the rest of the day until the next morning when the process starts again.

Cheers

Simon

 

[pmonett]

Could you please check that, right after starting the PC and without having done anything else, the association between xls files and Excel exists ?

Pascal.

 

[scowen]

YES the association is there because, if the user comes in and switches on, they can launch spreadsheets via Excel no problem what so ever BUT not from Lotus until the association is remade.

Cheers

Simon

 

[pmonett]

Okay, so now we are clear. The association is there, but Notes does not "recognize" it until it is remade.
Sorry to be very picky on that, but I needed it spelled out to be sure.
Now to take the hammer : did you try to upgrade to R5.1 ?

I was going to ask if the association was still there right after Notes launch, but that seems to be the case.
Are these people running any Notes-specific background tasks ? Like NotesBuddy ?

Is there anything unusual in their notes.ini file ?

Pascal.

 

[pclive]

I had this same problem. This should be the fix for Lotus Notes getting the error "Unable to local program" when trying to open an Excel document.

Open Excel, go to tools>options>general, under "settings", make sure "Ignore other applications" is NOT checked. That should do it.

Paul

http://www.pclivemagic.com

 

[scowen]

Wooooooo Hoooooooo

Huston I think we have the answer.

Thanks Paul your suggestion worked like a dream.

Also thanks to Pascal for all your efforts and questions.

Simon

 

[pmonett]

Great tip Paul. I'll file that one carefully.

Thanks ;-)

Pascal.

 

[helsknight]

Sorry,

I'm having the same problem except it with power point. Try to find the same setting open pp, go to tools>options>general, under "settings", there's no "Ignore other applications". Help...Thanks!