Spreadsheet with/without MSN EXCEL

Every month for several years I have accessed my own spreadsheet offline from desktop icon.
To utter consternation and increasing frustration, today OPEN brought up the file BUT can do nothing with it.
Same results with backups on different drives.

Consequently told browse to find program from which can OPEN. Obvious choice MSN Excel. Result: "Cannot find any version ...to open file for edit".

Further on I installed msn xlviewer. In Open process came box, "Office Source Engine (Process ID: 2120) running. Need to Close". How/where to do so no idea. I am on Vista Ultimate with !E7; note not included in list for this item.

FYI, I only have Office 2002 (with Excel 2002), but cannot even remember last time I used it for anything. Also note many MSN references to Office 2003, but hardly ever 2002.
Point is, HOW CAN I GET BACK WHERE I WAS & NOT BE REFERRED TO NEED FOR A PROGRAM (EXCEL)?
Only secondarily (and reluctantly) interested in making Excel function to restore ability to use my spreadsheet.

I will be most grateful for help in this unexpected problem.

 

Well, I can give you advice on installing an alternative (freeware) program that you can work with your spreadsheet with.

Check out http://www.openoffice.org . It's an open source alternative to MS Office, and can open MS Office documents, spreadsheets, etc.

 

I 2nd that been useing openoffice for many years and have been very happy with it

 

Try this, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211494

1.In Microsoft Office Excel 2003 or earlier versions of Excel click Options, on the Tools menu.
2.Click the General tab.
3.Click to clear the Ignore other applications check box, and then click OK.

Also are all your Windows updates current?

 

Thanks Major Kitycat:
1. My All Programs shows msn Office Excel Viewer (2.72GB/6714 files!) & msn Office Outlook Connector. Each when Open have Status bar File/Edit/View/Window/Help. No TOOLS so no OPTIONS.
At CtrlPanel Programs I ran Repair on each but no changes evident.
2. Windows Vista Ultimate updated and frequently checked.

As has been said, Knowledge is not power (use of it is), but Ignorance is weakness.

 

Thanks Chaimjm & mcsmc.
1. I have OpenOffice downloaded but not installed.
Intend install when remove Office 2002, but hesitate to do because of the existing spreadsheets which use Excel when created template.
2. I assume my spreadsheets cannot be copied to OpenOffice complete with plethora of formulas. To have to recreate them is a task devoutly to be avoided.
3. What I fail to understand is why after "normal" operation and backups over an extended period, what happened to change things?
Knowing that, I presume whatever the cause can be eliminated -- and if unknown, that there is an alternative to restore what was.

 

Thank you Halo, and despite apprehension, I'll follow suggestion and open OPEN OFFICE.org. FYI, I do so because I do not want to appear uncooperative to you and others who kindly provide help.
I have not uninstalled/reinstalled OFFICE 2002 because the disks are not with me here in France.

I note possible attribution to corrupted file, and the concentration on Excel. I had thought it must be something I did, or failed to do at last usage a month ago. I don't believe I have ever gone to Office and/or Excel since creating years ago my own spreadsheet templates.
And that file copies elsewhere on my hard drive, a CD and two USB thumb drives are all equally unusable is nothing short of traumatic. Never experienced anything comparable, although a very long time ago I experienced "Save As" copies to CDs did not have any formulas. Found how to overcome that -- perhaps here!
Not recurred although I no longer need to bother to do anything to retain formulas.

 

Halo, no problem with OpenOffice installation but complete confusion thereafter, to include inability to get their help (join Project; get to Home page instead of reading about how to do it).
1. Clicked INSTMSIA: "Wrong OS or OS for Application".
Clicked INSTMSIA: Same result.
2. Clicked users@OpenOffice.org: "Could not perform...because default mail client is not properly installed".

All efforts to access Excel area and/or request help in order not to bother you failed.
Reluctant to uninstall any part of MSN Office/Excel or Office Outlook Connector until substitution of OPENOFFICE.org is done.

"Out of the frying pan into the fire" so far as my spreadsheet goes!

 

You can access OpenOffice.org help by visiting their support webpage at http://support.openoffice.org/index.html . If you scroll down that page, there are several links to many forms of help... everything from tutorials, to FAQ pages, to forums where you can ask specific questions and get answers and help from other people.

The OO application you would use for spreadsheets/Excel files is "Calc".

I hope this helps.

 

Thanks, mcsmc:
I did see that bewildering assortment and even accessed CALC. Found nothing re "wrong OS...", nor INSTMSIA & INSTMSIW . What I sought was a box to describe problems and that I did not find. I'll try again.

 

Hi Halo, Major KityCat, Chaimjm and mcsmc and anyone I missed!
Delighted to report considerable progress just when I thought only hope was System Restore.
I use Maxtor One Touch 4 Mini external hard drive and it saved the day. Whereas all of my backup copies, C Drive/thumb drives/CD, were useless, Maxtor ones unaffected.

Accessed with OpenOffice Calc and updated routinely. At SAVE I had choice of using OOo Calc or Excel; chose one then found another of the monthly files, updated it and used the other for SAVE.

Before this Topic Closes I do need help as to:

1. How do I find the file of today on the Maxtor list.? It has the ones which I used to access, but do not recognize the one of today, even searching by date. Very few have names, lots of cc-followed by line of numbers. Of course I've asked Maxtor, but perhaps one of you has some experience with this.

2. How do I access SAVE AS at OpenOffice? Again, have asked OOo, but you all may have answers.

3. How do I copy from Maxtor to C drive -- and then copy elsewhere to include burning CD without encountering Read Only or some other impediment?