Grrrr ... Microsoft!

[Hawkmoon]

Microsoft never fails for finding new ways to annoy customers.

I have years and years of spreadsheets that were created using Excel 2003, and which are (naturally) in the .xls file format.

Not very long ago I finally retired my old Windows XP desktop computer and started using a newer one, running Windows 7. I installed my Office 2003 Professional suite, and I also installed Office 2016 Professional. Why do I need both? Technically, I don't -- but I hate the new ribbon menu layout, and the add-on that emulate the old menu structure isn't quite as perfect as the authors would like us to believe. Plus, for jumping into an old .xls spreadsheet to check something or to insert a quick update, I can load it, do the task, and be done using Excel 2003 while 2016 is still showing me the splash screen.

So I would like to set Excel 2003 as the default program to open all .xls files when I double click on them in Windows Explorer.

Windows won't let me do that. Excel 2003 is there, is fully functional, and I can start it from the Start menu or using a desktop shortcut. But when I go into Control panel and try to select Excel 2003 as the default program to open .xls files, it won't let me do that. It doesn't even allow me to see Excel 2003 as a potential choice. I can see LibreOffice calc ... but not Excel 2003.

Microsoft, may your entire organization be thrown into the sun and consumed in the fires that warm the hearts of computer users everywhere.

[Brad Johnson]

It won't let you do it in the Associate File Type settings?

Brad

[Hawkmoon]

It won't let you do it in the Associate File Type settings?

Nope. Excel 2003 doesn't show up at all. If I use "Browse" to find it and select it -- it won't stay selected. It still won't show up on the list of choices.

[lee n. field]

isn't there an "open with" option, on the right-click context menu for whatever .xls file you're looking at?

[KD5NRH]

Plus, for jumping into an old .xls spreadsheet to check something or to insert a quick update, I can load it, do the task, and be done using Excel 2003 while 2016 is still showing me the splash screen.

I'm pretty sure code is gaseous, and expands to fill whatever resources are available.  Remember how much we were able to get done on an 8088 with a 40MB hard drive?  Now it takes more than 40MB for one app that often doesn't have that much more real functionality than the XT version.

[230RN]

I hate that "Ribbon" setup.  I don't know what mind-destroying drugs the decision-makers were on when they selected that, but.

I also hate the fact that my 64-bit machine (Win 7) won't handle so many applications.  Or my old scanner.

I did discover that renaming my .doc files to .rtf ("Rich Text Format") will allow me to open them with the "beginner's" Word program that came with the Win7/64 computer.  That one gave me a scare, that I had lost all my old .doc stuff.

Maybe there's some kind of extension-renaming trick you can use... Or try to open them in Word  or Notepad, strip off the ASCII garbage headers, and re-save them (import them again) into your current spreadsheet software?

Copy the files to another folder and work on them there, so you don't eff up the originals.

 

Hatehatehatehatehate.

[Scout26]

Microsoft, may your entire organization be thrown into the sun and consumed in the fires that warm the hearts of computer users everywhere.

Fitz, your spaceship is now boarding...

 

[Hawkmoon]

Oops. I forgot about Fitz. Fitz excluded -- I don't think he was involved in the decision to make it impossible for users to do what they know is best for them.

[Fitz]

Oops. I forgot about Fitz. Fitz excluded -- I don't think he was involved in the decision to make it impossible for users to do what they know is best for them.

update the file format to XLSX, store it in your super cheap onedrive storage that comes free with o365 home (5tb now per account), that i'll even give you for a huge discount to prove that it's awesome, then access it from literally all your devices and sync changes whenever connectivity is available.

Done


But seriously, I understand the frustration, but I think you can see there's some pretty valid business cases for not keeping a 13 year old file format around and supporting a 13 year old product?

[Hawkmoon]

update the file format to XLSX, store it in your super cheap onedrive storage that comes free with o365 home (5tb now per account), that i'll even give you for a huge discount to prove that it's awesome, then access it from literally all your devices and sync changes whenever connectivity is available.

Done


But seriously, I understand the frustration, but I think you can see there's some pretty valid business cases for not keeping a 13 year old file format around and supporting a 13 year old product?

Nobody is asking that Microsoft support Office 2003. I just want to be allowed to use it. I have Libre Office on the same computer. When I try to assign a default program to open .xls files other than Excel 2016, I can see LibreOffice Calc, and I can assign that to automatically open if I double click an .xls file. But Windows doesn't show me Excel 2003 as an available program, even though it's installed and functional. If I browse to the Excel.exe file and select it, it still won't be accepted as the default program to open that file type. I think if Microsoft is going to allow assigning a default program, they should allow us to assign whatever program we want to use. Microsoft doesn't support LibreOffice, either, but they don't make it impossible to get to it.

Or -- Microsoft could have just given Office 2016 (as well as 2007, 2010, and 2013) the option of using the classic menu structure. If they had just done that, I wouldn't have any need to maintain Office 2003 and LibreOffice all on the same computer with Office 2016.

[Fitz]

There are several remote code execution vulnerabilities that have appeared in office 2003 products in the several years since support officially ended. If we made it easier for people to use 13 year old software, and didn't do things to discourage it, then people would be complaining about why we aren't patching 13 year old software.

It's literally a lose lose.

Is anything preventing you from launching the software and using it? Or are you simply unable to set a default file association, thereby exposing yourself to the potential of opening a compromised document in an unpatched product?

[Fitz]

anyways, go to add/remove programs and try repairing the install. that may restore the associations

then use a gorram modern product :-D

[Fitz]

alternatively, write a quick batch file and stuff it on your desktop to the effect of

C:\whateverpath\excel.exe C:\myancientdocuments\someoldstuffthatishouldupdate.xls

:-D

 

[Fitz]

I hate that "Ribbon" setup.  I don't know what mind-destroying drugs the decision-makers were on when they selected that, but.

I also hate the fact that my 64-bit machine (Win 7) won't handle so many applications.  Or my old scanner.

I did discover that renaming my .doc files to .rtf ("Rich Text Format") will allow me to open them with the "beginner's" Word program that came with the Win7/64 computer.  That one gave me a scare, that I had lost all my old .doc stuff.

Maybe there's some kind of extension-renaming trick you can use... Or try to open them in Word  or Notepad, strip off the ASCII garbage headers, and re-save them (import them again) into your current spreadsheet software?

Copy the files to another folder and work on them there, so you don't eff up the originals.

 

Hatehatehatehatehate.

Your old scanner doesn't work because the vendor that made it didn't update the drivers after multiple changes in the OS kernel, long after they had been making money off the product. Same with your old applications.

Opening up an excel file in notepad and attempting to "strip out the garbage" will result in nothing more than a useless file, and he already said he could open them in office 2016

[Hawkmoon]

I can even open them in Excel 2003. The problem is that it's easier to go looking for them using Windows Explorer, and then double click the file to open it. But if I can't assign Excel 2003 as the default program, double clicking opens the file in Office 2016 -- which means I double click and then go have lunch while the splash screen loads. Otherwise, having found the file, I have to back out of Windows Explorer, open Excel 2003, and then open the file.

So my workaround seems to be using LibreOffice Calc as the default program. At least that has a useful menu structure.

[Fitz]

I can even open them in Excel 2003. The problem is that it's easier to go looking for them using Windows Explorer, and then double click the file to open it. But if I can't assign Excel 2003 as the default program, double clicking opens the file in Office 2016 -- which means I double click and then go have lunch while the splash screen loads. Otherwise, having found the file, I have to back out of Windows Explorer, open Excel 2003, and then open the file.

So my workaround seems to be using LibreOffice Calc as the default program. At least that has a useful menu structure.

lemme see if I can find a solution for you. i'll get back with you this evening.

[lee n. field]

Nobody is asking that Microsoft support Office 2003. I just want to be allowed to use it. I have Libre Office on the same computer. When I try to assign a default program to open .xls files other than Excel 2016, I can see LibreOffice Calc, and I can assign that to automatically open if I double click an .xls file. But Windows doesn't show me Excel 2003 as an available program, even though it's installed and functional. If I browse to the Excel.exe file and select it, it still won't be accepted as the default program to open that file type. I think if Microsoft is going to allow assigning a default program, they should allow us to assign whatever program we want to use. Microsoft doesn't support LibreOffice, either, but they don't make it impossible to get to it.

Or -- Microsoft could have just given Office 2016 (as well as 2007, 2010, and 2013) the option of using the classic menu structure. If they had just done that, I wouldn't have any need to maintain Office 2003 and LibreOffice all on the same computer with Office 2016.

A couple google hits that might help:

http://windowssecrets.com/forums/showthread.php/118830-Default-Open-With-When-Both-Excel-2003-and-Excel-2007

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/msoffice_excel-mso_other/making-excel-2003-the-default/77ca7b7c-33a8-4f9f-97bd-dd0b8bfbf32f

https://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-questions/277382-excel-2003-2007-set-default.html

[RevDisk]

There are several remote code execution vulnerabilities that have appeared in office 2003 products in the several years since support officially ended. If we made it easier for people to use 13 year old software, and didn't do things to discourage it, then people would be complaining about why we aren't patching 13 year old software.

It's literally a lose lose.

Is anything preventing you from launching the software and using it? Or are you simply unable to set a default file association, thereby exposing yourself to the potential of opening a compromised document in an unpatched product?

Ayep. We're still running Office 2007 for all non-Surface users. Zero problems. Security issues with 2003 and before is why folks want you off it. Which you can then replace with the old menus.

https://www.howtogeek.com/80100/how-to-bring-back-the-old-menus-in-office-2007-2/

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/dont-ms-office-ribbon-bring-back-proper-menus.htm

[lupinus]

I actually found I don't mind the ribbons once I got used to them. I actually find I spend less time hunting for a function I know is there but don't use often.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Hawkmoon]

Ayep. We're still running Office 2007 for all non-Surface users. Zero problems. Security issues with 2003 and before is why folks want you off it. Which you can then replace with the old menus.

https://www.howtogeek.com/80100/how-to-bring-back-the-old-menus-in-office-2007-2/

http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/dont-ms-office-ribbon-bring-back-proper-menus.htm

Ayup. I know about UBitMenu. Which is why my initial post said "and the add-on that emulate the old menu structure isn't quite as perfect as the authors would like us to believe." Aside from the fact that the author didn't get all the commands quite right, and that some of them don't work the same as in Office 2003, UBitMenu (and the other one, for which you have to pay) doesn't replace the ribbon menu -- it just adds a tab which, when selected, adds a menu bar containing a facsimile of the classic menus below the ribbon menu. It works, but it's clunky. And the menu inconsistencies are annoying, VERY annoying. (Albeit not as annoying as the ribbon.)

[Fitz]

only stuff I found are the links posted above by lee. the first seems most promising.

if the first link doesn't work, and repairing the 0ffice 2003 install doesn't work, try going to regedit, getting to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, find .xls, and change the behavior there

[Hawkmoon]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I tried them all ... and none of them worked.

LibreOffice Calc for the win, I guess.

[mtnbkr]

I actually found I don't mind the ribbons once I got used to them. I actually find I spend less time hunting for a function I know is there but don't use often.

Same here.  I also found myself finding "new to me" features because they weren't buried 3 levels down in nested menus.

Chris

[lupinus]

Same here.  I also found myself finding "new to me" features because they weren't buried 3 levels down in nested menus.

Chris

Same here.

[Hawkmoon]

I see several people who will never be allowed membership in "Luddites-R-Us."