Need to open .xls files with Excel 2016/Win10, default is now Adobe

Anonymous
2015-10-06T15:57:22+00:00
Please check out Office<br> documents don't open in the correct application <br>for the latest information on this topic.

Just installed Win10 and upgraded to Excel 2016. Find I can't open .xls files as default app to open them is now ...Adobe. Excel is not an available option in setting default apps to open .xls files. I got sent to the Store and the app I selected can be set as the default, but when I saved file as .xlsx, Excel balks about opening it. Somehow this doesn't make sense that Excel is not the default for .xls files. Any help here?

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Anonymous
2015-10-06T20:05:58+00:00

Hi Darrell - Windows 10 puts you in control of which of your apps act as the default for file types, so we don't automatically take over the association (I guess you could imagine how much we'd upset a confirmed OpenOffice user if we did :-))

Easiest way to fix this:

Press the Windows key/select the Windows Icon in the start bar

Type "Default" - and search should then suggest: "Default Programs", select it

Wait for the applet to start and then select the "Set your default programs" choice

Find Excel 2016 in the list, select it, and then select "->Set this program as default"

Then sit back and enjoy Excel opening your workbook files!

Apologies for the somewhat long set of instructions, I feel we should award some kind of "dedication above and beyond the expected calls of duty" :-)

Hope this helps...pc

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Anonymous
2017-04-11T20:45:08+00:00

Hello! We've created a "Fix It" tool that may further assist if you're continuing to experiencing problems with file associations. You can learn more and access the tool here: Double-clicking an Office file fails to open it

Freya

Office Newsroom

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-12-19T03:41:32+00:00

    Patrick,

    I still have issues with Excel I'm not able to open up a file I save. However, I can open the file when I open up the application. How do I fix the issue so I can open up the file directly from the desktop file? This is inconvience and becoming to frusterating. I don't want to give up on MS but I am getting to that point.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-12-13T18:47:14+00:00

    Dear All

    Please Right click any .xls file

    Select open with

    Check Mark Always use this application for all .xls file

    Select Choose default program

    sellect more options

    browse up to bottom....

    Select look for another app on pc

    you have to select following way by browsing ...

    Program Files ( x86)>Microsoft Office>Root>Office 16>Excel.exe

    Select the last one above i.e. Excel.exe

    try this it worked for me.

    Also there are other answers like selecting Excel 2016 etc in another answers , you may try those methods if it not works.

    Thanks for giving me chance to help someone

    Jay Swaminarayan

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-12-11T13:50:16+00:00

    Wow... this is a new low for Microsoft. 

    I tried hard to buy my new laptop with Windows 7 installed... sadly, that wasn't possible. Now I struggle with Windows 10. 

    I, too, struggled with .xls - and they're all work files, I must add. My team at work use different computers with different Excel versions (all newer than 2013, thankfully) - and although this has brought all kind of clashes, not being able to open a file is the first one. 

    I am a subscriber to Office 365, and like everyone else here, missed my link association to .xls with the new office update. 

    As a looong Windows user, I didn't worry at first - it's quite easy to remake the file association. Uh-oh, it's Windows 10, but shouldn't be difficult - in a few minutes I made 3 different attempts. All failed. Great. (I.e. - in File Explorer, select Open With and looked for Excel - not on the list; open Excel and select manually to open this file - opens, but does change file association; open Settings and try to redo the association from there - no Excel on list). 

    After a while I finally found where Excel 2016 was installed and was able to manually re-associate the files. But really, I'd expect this kind of bug to be corrected quite faster.

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