XL97: Error Opening File from MS Internet Explorer Address Bar

ID: Q184159

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Internet Explorer for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, when you click the Address bar arrow and select a Microsoft Excel 97 workbook, you may receive the following error message:

   A document with the name '<file name.xls>' is already open. You cannot
   open two documents with the same name, even if the documents are in
   different folders. To open the second document, either close the
   document that's currently open, or rename one of the documents.

When you click OK, you receive the following error message:

   Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site <file name.xls>.
   Server execution failed

In Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, when you click the Address bar arrow and select a Microsoft Excel workbook, you may receive the following error message:

   Reference Is Not Valid.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if all of the following conditions are true:

You open an Excel workbook that contains hyperlinks in Internet Explorer.
```
    -and-
```
You click a hyperlink in the Excel workbook that jumps to a named location in the same workbook.
```
    -and-
```
After you follow the hyperlink to a named location in the workbook, you click the same workbook name in the Address bar list.

NOTE: The error message may also occur when you open an Excel workbook in Internet Explorer and then attempt to open the same workbook again by selecting the same workbook name from the Address bar list.

STATUS

This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows.

MORE INFORMATION

In Excel, you can use a hyperlink to jump to an object, file, page, or other destination, such as a named location or a specific cell range. When you follow a hyperlink to a named location or to a specific cell range in the same workbook, Excel performs a Goto command and selects the location in the same workbook. If the workbook is open in Internet Explorer, and if you follow the hyperlink, there is no way to go back to the previous location in the same workbook. When you click the back button in Internet Explorer, you go to the previous Uniform Resource Locator (URL). If you select the workbook in the Address bar list, Internet Explorer attempts to open another copy of the same workbook and produces the error message in this article. The Excel Web toolbar allows you to go to the previous location in the same workbook, but the Web toolbar cannot be displayed inside of Internet Explorer.

Additional query words: XL97

Keywords          : kberrmsg kbdta
Version           : WINDOWS:97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: November 5, 1998