when 2007 is installed side-by-side with 2003, open xls wi..

rbyteme · External Since: Jan 10, 2007 Posts: 10

I am forced to use this heinous 2007 version for my clients. Apologies for
any negative personal opinions expressed due to extraordinary amount of
frustration this evening.

I've installed Excel (and Word) 2007 only and and left my 2003 install
intact. Currently using 2007 trial version.

All i want is to have Excel 2007 open xlsm files only (e.g., office 2007
opens 2007 files, period) while having older xls files default to being
opened by Excel 2003 (and older .doc files opened by Word 2003, etc.). No
matter what I do to change the File Types settings, it continually defaults
to 2007 even through Windows (XP) tells me I have customized these settings.

I assume (HOPE) this has to (can!) be changed in the registry somewhere.
Does anyone know how/where? Please help -- this is driving me MAD!!! 95% of
my files are xls and going to stay that way for a long time to come, and I
cannot work efficiently with the lack of customizability of 2007. Sorry,
Microsoft, a single customizable toolbar does not even come close.

Thank you anyone who has any info!!!

garfield-n-odie [MVP] · External Since: Feb 13, 2006 Posts: 1906

You need to start the application you prefer (Excel 2003 or Word 2007 or
whatever), and then use the File->Open (2003) or Office Button->Open
(2007) command or Ctrl+O keyboard shortcut (2003 or 2007) within that
application to select and open the file.

rbyteme wrote:

> I am forced to use this heinous 2007 version for my clients. Apologies for
> any negative personal opinions expressed due to extraordinary amount of
> frustration this evening.
>
> I've installed Excel (and Word) 2007 only and and left my 2003 install
> intact. Currently using 2007 trial version.
>
> All i want is to have Excel 2007 open xlsm files only (e.g., office 2007
> opens 2007 files, period) while having older xls files default to being
> opened by Excel 2003 (and older .doc files opened by Word 2003, etc.). No
> matter what I do to change the File Types settings, it continually defaults
> to 2007 even through Windows (XP) tells me I have customized these settings.
>
> I assume (HOPE) this has to (can!) be changed in the registry somewhere.
> Does anyone know how/where? Please help -- this is driving me MAD!!! 95% of
> my files are xls and going to stay that way for a long time to come, and I
> cannot work efficiently with the lack of customizability of 2007. Sorry,
> Microsoft, a single customizable toolbar does not even come close.
>
> Thank you anyone who has any info!!!

rbyteme · External Since: Jan 10, 2007 Posts: 10

Yes I am well aware of this and it is extremely inconvenient. Please tell me
either how to change it so that opening from Windows explorer will default to
Excel 2003 for XLS files, or if this simply impossible, that Office 2007 has
taken over the file types and will not allow this default open-file-with
change. Thank you.

"garfield-n-odie [MVP]" wrote:

> You need to start the application you prefer (Excel 2003 or Word 2007 or
> whatever), and then use the File->Open (2003) or Office Button->Open
> (2007) command or Ctrl+O keyboard shortcut (2003 or 2007) within that
> application to select and open the file.
>
> rbyteme wrote:
>
> > I am forced to use this heinous 2007 version for my clients. Apologies for
> > any negative personal opinions expressed due to extraordinary amount of
> > frustration this evening.
> >
> > I've installed Excel (and Word) 2007 only and and left my 2003 install
> > intact. Currently using 2007 trial version.
> >
> > All i want is to have Excel 2007 open xlsm files only (e.g., office 2007
> > opens 2007 files, period) while having older xls files default to being
> > opened by Excel 2003 (and older .doc files opened by Word 2003, etc.). No
> > matter what I do to change the File Types settings, it continually defaults
> > to 2007 even through Windows (XP) tells me I have customized these settings.
> >
> > I assume (HOPE) this has to (can!) be changed in the registry somewhere.
> > Does anyone know how/where? Please help -- this is driving me MAD!!! 95% of
> > my files are xls and going to stay that way for a long time to come, and I
> > cannot work efficiently with the lack of customizability of 2007. Sorry,
> > Microsoft, a single customizable toolbar does not even come close.
> >
> > Thank you anyone who has any info!!!
>
>

amsgwp · Joined: Jul 23, 2007 Posts: 3

I'm trying to figure out this same issue. Google locates this page but nothing else relevant.

amsgwp · Joined: Jul 23, 2007 Posts: 3

Ok figured it out!

I'm sure you can do this easily using regedit but I couldn't so I used a program called FileAsoc.

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/rhaminisys/binaries/fileasoc.zip

If you get errors saying you need COMCTL32.ocx to run then you can either download this: http://www.ascentive.com/support/new/libraryfiles.exe

or follow these steps...

you have to download and register comdlg32.ocx and comctl32.ocx. To register these files download them (google comdlg32.ocx and comctl32.ocx and you should find the download easily. Then download them to your system32 directory this is C:\Windows\System32)

Register them using the following commands from the Run prompt

regsvr32 \windows\system32\COMDLG32.OCX

and

regsvr32 \windows\system32\COMCTL32.OCX

Ok all of those steps are dependent on your system and you might not have to do this at all.

Ok once you get the application open type .xls in the box at the top.
Click Edit
At the bottom you should see
"Command Line to start application"

Change it from "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\EXCEL.EXE" /e /n

to

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\EXCEL.EXE" /e /n

Then go to the command verb and change it to open and do the same thing(change the 12 to 11).

Hope this helps.

joestern · Joined: Nov 20, 2007 Posts: 1

When Excel 2007 and Excel 2003 are installed side-by-side, the last-installed version gets control of the XLS file type.

You can switch dominance as follows:

To make 2003 the default handler for Excel files, go to Help | Detect and Repair

To make 2007 the default handler, go to [Office Button] | [Excel Options Button] | Resources | [Diagnose button]

Sometimes the DLLs will be re-registered for a version when you install a patch or a service pack.

Finally, it's wise to install Office 2003 and Office 2007 into completely different directories, otherwise some parts of Access won't work. MS says that side-by-side installation is not officially supported, even though the 2007 installation wizard offers it as a choice.

- Joe
Philadelphia, PA

enjinn · Joined: Jan 14, 2008 Posts: 12

I didn't try the File Asoc method that amsgwp suggested but instead used the simpler method posted by joestern.

It works, however as soon as you re-open office 2007 - the program automatically reconfigures the file associations back to 2007 - is there any way to stop it from doing this?

axumempire · Joined: Mar 05, 2008 Posts: 5

Follow these steps to make Office 2k3 the default app. You will have to follow the same steps for Word, Excel, Acess.

(note: make backup of your registry before attempting this method)

To make Word 2003 the default program:

Start > Run > Regedit

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Word\Options

Choose Edit from the top menu > New > DWORD Value > type NoReReg and hit enter
Right click on NoReReg and click Modify. In the Value data box, type 1 then click OK

For Excel, follow the same steps as above by navigating to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Excel\Options

For Access, follow the same steps as above by navigating to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\12.0\Access\Options

IMPORTANT STEP!
Once you have edited the Registry, open any 2003 program (excel, word, access) and click on Help > Detect and Repair.

Now open each 2003 program one by one in no particular order (Word, Excel, Access). This step might not be needed, but do it just in case.

You should now be able to open office files with 2003 as a default program.

Cheers!
Laughing

libcrystal · Joined: Jun 25, 2008 Posts: 1

This has been annoying me since the day I got a new laptop. I felt/was coerced into using Vista since no one seemed to offer a new computer using XP. Maybe it's possible to switch, but I was advised against it. Anyway - that's another thread.

Office 2007 was preloaded and set as the default programs for office files. I don't seem to run into this issue so much with Word, but the Excel 2007 issue the OP posted is frustrating beyond the pale. It feels (again) like coercion. Like a nagging child, the hope is that we will just give in out of this frustration and switch over to Excel 2007. I am going to try the solution offered here and I THANK YOU for providing it!

Odd that this was the only reference to this issue when I ran it through google.

SamuraiDave · Joined: Jul 18, 2008 Posts: 1

This method will allow you to open XLS files with EXcel 2003 and XLSX files in 2007 by double clicking on them when both 2003 & 2007 are installed - With one Exception noted below.
Precondition: Both Excel 2007 and Excel 2003 are installed on system
Steps:
1. Navigate to where your Excel 2003 exe is located. Normally this will be:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\OFFICE11
2. Change the name of the Excel 2003 executable from Excel.exe to
Excel03.exe
3. Right click on an XLS file and select Open With > Choose Program and
when the dialog appears, click the Browse button and navigate to the
newly renamed Excel file.
4. Select it.
5. When the Open With dialog reappears, be sure that the 'Aways use
selected program...' check box is selected.
6. Click OK.
From this point on, any time you double click on an xls file Excel 2003 will open it and when you click on an XLSX file, 2007 will open it EXCEPT when you already have Excel 2003 open. If you already have Excel 2003 open, clicking on an XLSX file will cause it to be opened in Excel 2003, (assuming that you have the file converter).
Hope this helps