XL: Internet Explorer Not Hosting MS Excel File

ID: Q159415

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0, 5.0a

SYMPTOMS

When you open a Microsoft Excel file in Microsoft Internet Explorer version 3.0, the file is opened in a new instance of Microsoft Excel instead of activating in-place inside of the browser.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when either of the following conditions are true:

The Docobj.dll file is not properly registered. Docobj.dll is installed with Microsoft Office 7.0.
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    -or-
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The file that you open was saved with a module sheet as the active sheet. Internet Explorer 3.0 cannot open or edit module sheets within a Microsoft Excel workbook.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods.

The Docobj.dll File Is Not Properly Registered

If you are running Windows 95 and the problem occurs because the Docobj.dll file is not being properly registered, use the following steps to reregister the file:

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.

2. Type the following in the Open box, and then click OK:

      Regsvr32 /V Docobj.dll

Note: Regsvr32.exe is installed with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0.

The following message should now appear:

   DllRegister Server in docobj.dll succeeded

The File Was Saved with a Module Active

If the problem occurs because the file was saved with a module sheet as the active sheet, use the following steps to save the file with a worksheet active:

1. On the File menu, click open, and select the file in question.

2. After the file is open, click a worksheet tab to select a

   worksheet instead of a module sheet.

3. On the File menu, click Save.

NOTE: If you have files in the XLSTART folder or the Alternate Startup Folder that are saved with a module sheet active, including Add-In files (.xla), you can expect the same results. Even though you do not attempt to host those files, they still open when you start Microsoft Excel, and will therefore cause the same symptoms as described earlier in this article.

REFERENCES

For additional information on in-place activation with Internet Explorer, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE ID: Q162059
   TITLE     : Office Documents Open in Internet Explorer

Additional query words: IE3 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00

Keywords          : xlweb 
Version           : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: February 8, 1998