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?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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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
    2016-08-26T18:41:47+00:00

    Same here, I have lost all my excel files to .xls with the new MO 2016. I have spent 3 hrs trying to find a resolution to convert back to no avail.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-08-28T00:06:48+00:00

    Excel cannot open Excel files. No fix and no solution. This has been an ongoing issue for a year in this post. Multiple ways it appears to be caused and caused again. Every update causes more problems discovered when trying to do the simplest of work. Here we go again. Did another update and now more problems that I have yet to discover in addition to Excel not being able to open Excel files again.  Simple problem that cannot be resolved by simply going in and associating the file for the third or fourth time with it's parent program.  This time cannot associate program with file or file with program.  

    While I appreciate good customer service a better solution would be quality programming and a lot more testing.  You broke it over and over. Why are you not fixing these problems over and over.  Why are you not driving the solutions? Why do I have to spend more time searching for a resolution only to find out you didn't notify anyone of a bug, the temporary workaround and an aggressive date to have it resolved. Why do we have to spend more time searching for solutions to bugs repeatedly for a year as they are broken again and again.  Why do we have to spend more time searching for solutions than we actually do using the program. 

    Icing on the bug cake is to hear that Microsoft is concerned about affecting open office users.  Not a day goes by that some bug derails our efforts to use office efficiently for productive work, not a day.  Just to find or save files while every location EXCEPT the computer I'm actually using and saving to 100% of the time keeps coming up and keeps getting set as default. I could go on and on but not one of the bugs have been resolved in the last year. 

    It saddens me to have been a customer of the great Microsoft and I do mean great, for decades and see Microsoft fall so far.  

    Gotta go, cutting and pasting apparently is now not working either.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-08-29T19:14:11+00:00

    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?

    Being new to the Microsoft Community I'm  not sure where to post the answer that I found works best, so will opt with the original question. This being an older post, perhaps it has already been answered on one of the 18 pages found here? I am not about to read them all.

    When I typed the question in google search "how to open xls file on windows 10" , the first result in the page snippet was this:

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2528682

    To keep things simple they could update this page (from 2011). The only things they need to do is change Step 1, modify Step 3 (to reflect the choice) and eliminate Steps 4 and 5. They could also explain the difference between Quick Repair and Online Repair. Quick repair worked for me.

    In summary, the steps would be:

    1. Click Start, click Control Panel, then click Programs and Features.
    2. Select Microsoft Office.
    3. Click Change, select Quick Repair or Online Repair, then the Repair button.

    Den

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