How to overcome the Excel error: There was a problem sending the command to the program.

I was asked to help a client who'd unexpectedly lost the ability to open Excel documents sent to him as email attachments or by directly double-clicking documents he'd previously created. The above error was the response he was seeing when attempting to open Excel docs.

There was no obvious explanation for the issue which had just started to happen recently. Nothing had, apparently, changed in the Windows 7 Starter Edition on his Samsung netbook. The Office version in this case was 2007.

A bit of time invested in searching the web revealed this to be a fairly widespread issue affecting multiple versions of both Word and Excel. Thankfully those searches also turned up a bunch of different possible solutions and workarounds posted in various forums and blogs.

I'm not planning to include all possible solutions in this article because there are lots to choose from. However the following is the one which worked for me and is associated with Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE). To implement it follow these steps:

1. Within Excel click on the big Office button in the top left corner.
2. From the menu that opens click on the Excel Options button.

3. On the Excel Options screen click on Advanced. Then scroll down to the General section and deslect (remove the tick) adjacent to the Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) setting.

At this time I don't really understand why this setting needs changing from it's default in order to regain the ability to open Excel documents. I'm also unsure what impact may arise from implementing this change. However for my client this appears to be an acceptable workaround with apparently no loss of functionality.

I plan to update this article again as and when I manage to discover the proper resolution to this issue, meaning: I can have DDE enabled and open Excel docs without seeing the above error. Or if there's anyone out there who's already gained that understanding and is feeling generous enough to share the detail with me please post a comment.

A few words on recovery media

Most, if not all, new PCs that come with a pre-installed Windows OS normally provide a facility to create what is known as recovery media. Recovery media is normally a set of DVDs or perhaps a flash drive containing a default installation of the Windows OS and optionally any apps that came pre-installed on the system. The recovery media is very useful if the PC is affected by a hard drive failure or severe virus or malware infection and there's no other form of disc image backup from which to restore. Recovery media is also useful for quickly wiping all personal data from a PC if it's to be given or sold to a new owner. It could also be used to reinstate a known good working OS if the system becomes unusable for some other reason.So if you've not already got a set of recovery media for your PC do go ahead and create a set as soon as possible because other methods of recovery are likely to be time-consuming and/or more expensive.


Instructions for how to create the recovery media are typically provided and, based on my experience, there's a wizard-driven process for the creation of a set of recovery media. This page on the HP site describes the creation process using either DVDs or a flash drive.


If you've acquired a system from a previous owner and the recovery media isn't included you may find that you're blocked from creating the recovery media because a set has already previously been created. A restriction is in place - certainly on HP PCs - which limits the number of times recovery media can be created to just one. If you're in that situation and need to overcome the block then completing the following steps will work...


1. Delete the hidden file named RMCStatus.bin from the following two places:

• c:\Program Files(x86)\Hewlett-Packard\Recovery Manager\
• - the root of a drive d:\ (or whatever drive letter is assigned to the RECOVERY partition)

2. Remove the hidden file Rebecca.dat from C:\Windows\System32\

Note. I've tested the above on a Windows 7 HP laptop and it worked just fine.

I also understand that it's possible  use a product like Partition Magic which has, amongst its other capabilities, a recovery media creation tool which could be your get-out-of-jail card in the absence of all other options.

And finally please bear in mind that the above guide must be used in conjunction with - not in place of - whatever process you already have in place for backup of your data.

The Microsoft phone scam continues to plague us in 2013

If you receive an unsolicited phone call from a security 'expert' from Microsoft (and possibly other vendors) offering to fix your PC - it's a scam. It's been doing the rounds for several years now and is obviously deceiving some into parting with money. Otherwise it would have gone away by now. Here's how to avoid the 'Microsoft phone scam', and what to do if you fear you have fallen victim to it.


Here's how the scam works...

The scammer calls you and asks for you by name. He/she will say they are a computer security expert from Microsoft (or another legitimate tech company). The 'security expert' is direct and polite, but quite forceful. They'll say that your PC or laptop has been infected with malware, and that they can help you solve the problem. What happens now depends on the particular strain of scam with which you have been targeted.

Some scammers will request that you to give them remote access to your PC or laptop, and then use the access to harness your personal data. Others will instruct you to download some piece of software which contains malware that will automate the task of harvesting your personal data. Another variant of the scam involves the scammer simply asking for a payment in return for a lifetime of 'protection' from the malware they allege is on your machine.

The bottom line: no bona fide IT security specialist is ever going to call you in this way. For one thing, they can't tell that your PC is infected. The scammer is calling you simply because they've harvested your name and number from a phone book, or some other marketing list to which your details have been added at some point in the past. The scammer knows nothing about you or whether you've even got a home computer - it's nothing more than a trawler trip. However the scammer fully expects to catch the unsuspecting and unsure off-guard which is the only reason he/she is doing it. It's not personal, but, like any crime, it makes you the victim and is ultimately harmful to you on many levels.

The Microsoft phone scam: my advice if you're called by one of these scammers...

1. Just put the phone down. Don't react to the call. In fact your best response is to say nothing at all.

2. If they do manage to engage you in conversation, don't provide any personal information. This is a good advice for any unsolicited call. And certainly never reveal credit card or bank details.

3. Don't allow any unknown caller to guide you to a webpage, or instruct you to change a setting on your PC or download software.

4. If you feel motivated to report the call to the police (yes it is a crime after all) you can attempt to get the caller's details. Having some information can only help the police track the criminal.

5. If you have revealed any information to the scammer e.g. username/password info change those passwords and, if possible, the revealed usernames. It's also worth running a scan with up-to-date security software. Also ensure that your firewall is active 

The Microsoft phone scam: what to do if you have been caught out by this

1. Don't give yourself a hard time over this. It's a successful scam and has been - and continues to be - used to successfully trick many. 

2. As already mentioned change all the personal data that you can change. There's lots of data you simply can't change because it's fixed e.g. date of birth. But you can usually change your passwords and usernames. It can cause a lot of grief to change but you can create a new email and then start using that separate email account for linking to your online accounts for banking, shopping, etc. 

3. Contact your bank to explain what happened and ask them what they can do to help.

4. Ensure you use up-to-date security software to scan and, if necessary, cleanse your PC of any virus or malware. And if the scammer did get you to do something to your PC using Windows' built-in System Restore facility to roll back the settings is a good step to take. Here's an article that describes how to use system restore in Windows 7.

5. Do tell the police, especially if you've lost money. It's worth checking whether your credit card company or contents insurance will cover the loss.