Microsoft KB Archive/201601

= OFF97: Errors Opening File with Long File Name =

Article ID: 201601

Article Last Modified on 1/23/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft PowerPoint 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft PowerPoint 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q201601



WARNING:This information is preliminary and has not been confirmed or tested by Microsoft. Use only with discretion.



SYMPTOMS
When opening a file from Microsoft Windows Explorer, with any of the programs listed above, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Microsoft Excel
 could not be found. Check the spelling of the name, and verify that the file location is correct.

If you are trying to open the file from your list of most recently used files on the File menu, make sure the file has not been renamed, moved, or deleted.

Microsoft Word
Word cannot open the document. Try one or more of the following:


 * On the File menu, click Open to open the document.


 * Make sure the document has a *.doc extension ().

Microsoft PowerPoint
The path or file name for is invalid.

where  is the location and name of the file you attempted to open.

NOTE: This behavior does not occur on a computer running Microsoft Windows 98.



CAUSE
This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:


 * You open the file by right-clicking the file while holding the SHIFT key down and clicking Open With. In the Open With dialog box, you choose Excel or Word. -and-


 * The file in question has a long file name. That is, the first part of its name exceeds eight characters in length.



WORKAROUND
After following the steps below, a new instance of the program will be started each time you click the icon or run the program in any way.

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

 Double-click the My Computer icon on your desktop. On the View menu, click Options. In the Options dialog box, click the File Type tab. In the Registered File Type list, select Microsoft Excel Worksheet and click Edit. In the Edit File Type dialog box, click Open from the Actions list. Click Edit.</li> In the Editing Action For Type dialog box, click to clear the Use DDE check box. Type "%1" (including the quotation marks) at the end of the command line that is displayed in the Application Used To Perform Action box. For example, the following command line

<pre class="fixed_text">"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.exe" /e

would be changed to:

<pre class="fixed_text">"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Excel.exe" /e "%1"

</li> Click OK and then click Close twice.

NOTE: This disables 16-bit DDE functionality.</li> Repeat steps 2 through 6, clicking Microsoft Word document in step 3.</li> Repeat steps 2 through 6, clicking Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation in step 3.</li></ol>

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MORE INFORMATION
For additional information on similar problems, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

177248 XL97: Errors Opening Workbook from Windows Explorer

139849 WD97: Error: "Word Cannot Open Document" with Long File Name

149815 WordPad Error Message: Cannot Find the File

Additional query words: off97 lfn 8.3 NT4 Win95

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb KB201601

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