Member Avatar for challengedagain

Since I installed the Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.1 Update, a few days ago, I cannot open three files. It seems that all other excel files will open without issue. I can view the contents of these three using the OSX (10.5.8) viewer with no issues.

There does not appear to be a problem with the files as they open with no problem on another computer, but when resaved with a new filename they again fail on the primary computer.

I have reinstalled the Office 2004 for Mac 11.6.1 Update and checked the previous update as well 11.6.0; all appears to be ok.

Restart/ shutdown do not have any effect.

I am stumped and i really need to keep using the files. Any suggestions are welcome. Next step is open office, but i'd like to keep using the MS Office.

Thx for your help.

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Dani AI

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Note: later reported (Oct 29, 2010) that installing the Office 2004 11.6.2 update resolved the problem described in the original post. That outcome is the key takeaway for anyone who sees files that open fine on another Mac or in Finder/Quick Look but fail only in Excel on one machine.

The pattern you described points to a problem local to that Mac's Excel environment rather than the workbook itself. Common, safe troubleshooting steps that often help when an update cannot be applied immediately:

  • Create and test with a new macOS user account to see if the problem is user-specific.
  • If Excel will launch to the menus, disable add-ins via Tools > Add-Ins. If Excel won’t start, temporarily move/rename Excel’s Add-Ins/Startup folder to prevent third-party code from loading.
  • Reset Excel preferences: quit Excel and rename preference files in ~/Library/Preferences (for example, com.microsoft.Excel.plist) so Excel rebuilds them on next launch.
  • Check file permissions (Get Info) and try copying the file to the Desktop before opening.
  • Run Disk Utility’s Repair Disk Permissions on OS X 10.5.8.
  • Open the workbook on a working machine and use Save As to export to a simpler format (CSV, tab-delimited) or to an older Excel workbook, then try that copy on the problem Mac.
  • If practical, reapply the latest Office 2004 update or reinstall Office after backing up data.

For long-term stability, consider using a maintained spreadsheet app (LibreOffice, Numbers, or a current Office build) if compatibility issues persist. ’s suggestion to consult Mac-focused resources is sensible for deeper OS-level diagnostics. For any formal bug reports, include exact Excel build, OS X version, and the error behavior so support channels can reproduce and investigate.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

most here don't use a Mac ,thinking you might get more help on a MAC forum .good luck

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