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>
Hi
Thank you so much. I was struggling with that Excel issue far too long. I even re-installed my Office suite twice with no luck…
This tip is really much appreciated!!
Regards
John
flawless
no more annoyance
thanks
thank you so much for bringing me out of the Excel pop-up choke! I wonder why the microsoft site itself won’t have better technical support.
I found that it didnt work. so what do i do know?
Dear All,
My Excel 2010 .xlsx file currept on network drive and showing ZERO size. How it repair.
Sarfraz
Sarfraz:
At zero bytes, I certainly don’t have any ideas. You might be able to piece it together from lost disk fragments, but it’s not my expertise.
M.
Hi, i have this problem but the “Ignore other applications that use
>> Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” is not checked on my computer. So what can i do now?
hello
i check this box about a week ago to be able to get multiple excel pages open on multiple screens. everything worked fine for 3 or 4 days and now I get this pop up window. I wave went back in and uncheck the box and rebooted multiple times, still not fixed. i have ran the “Fix it” on MS page thinking that would do it. I have been in and check the box to make sure it is not rechecking or something. Tried other settings about compatibility.
nothing has fixxed this so far. Any Ideas now??
Thanx
YOU SAVED MY LIFE! I’ve been SOO irritated with it, lately… I just finally gave up… Until it came down to some projects for work. If I could, I would buy you a drink for saving my butt! Thanks a bunch! =)
any idea what to do if that box is unchecked already? This problem is new to me and this laptop. I installed Office 2007 on it new over a year ago but problem started 2 weeks ago.
meeen…u just saved a life!!!
it worked….like a very good charm!!!