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
    2016-06-09T16:34:10+00:00

    Hooray - so happy to hear it!!!

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-06-10T12:40:01+00:00

    I have not read through the whole list of suggestions and replies, so this may have been said before.

    I saw exactly what has been described; 'EXCEL is not default program for viewing and editing spreadsheets' (quite an admission from Microsoft!), Windows did not recognize .xltm as associated to EXCEL, which made it somewhat tricky to edit that format.

    I did repair Office365, but that did not change anything.

    I then made a search for EXCEL in the registry, and found several entries with a path/file that did not exist.

    c:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\oregres.dll 

    oregres.dll was not in that folder

    Most references to oregres.dll point to

    c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\VFS\ProgramFilesCommonX86\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16\

    I copied the file to c:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\OFFICE16, and that seems to have solved the issue.

    Now things work as I am used to; right clicking on the .xltm file gives me the options 'New' and 'Open'; double clicking opens the file, and EXCEL makes a new xls(m) file.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-06-11T18:55:54+00:00

    How do I get the latest release of Excel 2016??

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