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
    2016-09-05T11:31:24+00:00

    Patrick, this works but let me add a few notes for more casual users to help them follow your instructions:

    @Darrell82666   I think you deserve a medal for this contribution!  I'm writing this in September 2016 and I see there are now 18 pages in this thread.  Clearly, whoever is responsible for fixing this a) doesn't care and/or b) hasn't a clue.

    Your contribution to Patrick Conlan's suggested workaround got me most of the way, and I have now fixed my system (Office 2016 on Windows 10).

    A couple of points for other inexperienced folk to note:

    * beware of finding the location of a shortcut to the Excel executable, because that won't work.  If you do find a shortcut then right click it and find the target from its properties

    * be prepared to persevere when entering the path to the executable because the system tries to force you to use the path that it is expecting (even to the extent of freezing and forcing a restart).

    By the way, I'm going to have to do the same thing for several other Microsoft products that Microsoft's OS doesn't recognise (e.g. Publisher 2016).  I expect this same solution will work, which makes the hassle worthwhile.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-09-05T12:27:09+00:00

    A postscript to my earlier note.  It turns out I cannot use this same workaround to make the double-clicking of MS Publisher 2016 files work, because - unbelievably - the .pub file extension doesn't appear in the list of extensions.  It's therefore not possible to associate the executable with it.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-09-08T13:52:40+00:00

    Hello,

    I had this issue come up but on my work computer that is running Windows 7 Pro and Excel 2010.

    I followed the suggestion to change the default program association for .xls files to Microsoft Excel but the issue continued.

    Today I set the default program for .xls files to Microsoft Open XML Converter and now my .xls files are opening the way they used to.

    Not sure why that changed but hope this helps others.

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