Microsoft Excel Error: "There was a problem sending the command to the program."
For the last three years or more, I’ve been living with a little annoyance with Microsoft Excel. It’s one of those things that’s just not quite annoying enough to get to the bottom of, and I figured it was some obscure registry setting I’d never find and must be something odd about my laptop setup only. Sure, I tried a few times to fix it, but I never got anywhere.
Well, today as I was moving from the laptop I’ve been using through the last three years to my brand spanking new HP Envy 15 (more about this bad boy later), I got the dreaded “There was a problem sending the command to the program.” error on the new machine. Ok, now it was personal.
The error occurred anytime I tried to open an Excel file from outside Excel by clicking on it in Windows Explorer or an email. It can look like either of these two examples:
The bottom line is that while the Excel application opens just fine, it doesn’t open the file, showing the error instead. (“Was this information helpful?” No, not so much.)
Off to the Interwebs, and I finally found a post in some obscure forum (three or four reboots later, I have no idea where it was) that gave me a clue about the cause. There’s a setting in Excel 2007 which prevents it from opening files if the request comes via Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), and it is enabled by default. Go to the Office Button / Excel Options / Advanced, and scroll all the way down to the General section. There you will see the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” setting checked. Uncheck the box, click OK to apply, and you’re good to go. Never mind that those very applications that want to use DDE may be other Office apps!
<UPDATE dateTime=”2011-07-21T16:48″>If you’re using Office 2007, the Office Button is the big circle with the logo in the upper left of the screen shown above. If you’re using Office 2010, there’s no longer a button, but what’s called “backstage”, shown below.</UPDATE>
Im looking to have excel open in multiple instances. in order to do this i have been told to check this box.
i want to be able to click on an xls file and it open in its own instance of excel not just in the instance i have open allready
any ideas?
Sorry, I’m not sure about this one, Jason. I don’t *think* that this setting should have any impact on whether you get multiple instances or not, though.
M.
Excellent, thank you!
Marc,
I am sorry I don’t understand you instructions. what do you mean go to the ‘office button’….do you mean right click on the excel icon and go to ‘properties’? I can’t follow where to go to click this option. Can anyone help me?
Clark
The Office Button is the big button at the top left of the Excel window in Excel 2007 that has the Office logo in the center. (It’s been retired in Excel 2010 in favor of the “backstage” idea.)
M.
Marc,
Thank you for your clarification, I am sorry for your time spent with questions that seem silly. I thought I was pretty computer savy but obviously not. I did follow your instructions and it worked just like you explained. Thank you for your time and help.
Greatly appreciated,
Clark
No worries, Clark. I’m glad you got things going!
M.
thank you for you article – it fixed my problem (why didn’t I search for this sooner ?!?)
Hey that really works. Thanks
Can i send you my file of excel.. see if you can fix it… coz i did everything it doesnt fix
This error isn’t caused by the Excel file itself, but by the settings in the program. You should probably find someone local to take a look at things because there may be other issues in play.
M.
thanx the fix works although im not so sure about other applications that depend on DDE
thanks dhaval shah