Pocket Excel question/problem

srvctec · 07-07-07, 10:10 PM

When I first got my x51v last fall, I didn't have Microsoft Office installed on my pc. Of course, with the Axim, I got Outlook 2000, but I had no other Office apps on my pc. I had been using Open Office for several years. Active Sync put OO into Tools/Advanced Tools/Edit File Conversion Settings/Desktop to Device section where it lists all of the programs and their equivalent converted PPC file types.

I now have Office 2003 Pro installed on my PC and AS doesn't list Excel as a program in the "Desktop to Device" tab mentioned above.The problem with this is that once I copy Excel files from my PC to my PDA, the file is not converted adn thus recognized and won't open giving an error message saying the the file is not a proper file type.

Is there a way to associate or *put* Excel into AS so the files will be converted properly? Should I uninstall AS and re-install? Will this cause any problems, since my AS has worked flawlessly since installed- no connection/sync problems at all.

Thanks!

kauz · 07-09-07, 04:42 AM

As you have an Axim X51v you have WM 5 on it and therefore you don't have to converte the Excel-files. You have .xls on both PDA and PC. The only (but boring) difference is that the PDA-version is limited in some functions.
Hope this helps!

JohnK324 · 07-09-07, 12:30 PM

If you want to sync your excel file through ActiveSync, that is easily done by going to Tools in AS, choose Options and checking the box for Files. Copy your excel file to the new icon on the desktop. Now everytime you sync it will be in both places. So, no need to reinstall AS. Note: Good idea to make a second copy to the excel folder on the PC, a hard reset will wipe the file out.

All this is assuming you have Mobile Excel on your PDA. You say yours doesn't? Should have Word, Excel, and Powerpoint (all mobile style). Need that or you won't be able to view or edit the file.

srvctec · 07-09-07, 07:24 PM

Ummm, I never said my PDA didn't have Pocket Excel because it does have it.

I may not have made my first post very clear- sorry.

I downloaded a file from a web site where I get prices for my job. The file is an Excel file and is saved as such on my PC. I can open it by double-clicking it on my PC and it automatically opens up in Excel on my PC just fine. When I drag and drop this exact same file to my PDA, and then try to open it, I get this error message:

"An error occurred reading 'filename' because the file is in an invalid format."

This doesn't make any sense, since it's a file with the extension ".xls" just like on my PC. A guy I work with has the exact same setup on his x51v and has no problem opening these same Excel files.

JohnK324 · 07-10-07, 05:08 PM

You have some file association problem. This may work, first find the excel file stored on the x51v; click and hold until you get the context menu; choose Open, then Choose Program; after a short delay you get a list; choose the Excel icon with the xls after it.
Mine shows about 4 Excel icons with different extensions.

John

srvctec · 07-10-07, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by JohnK324

You have some file association problem. This may work, first find the excel file stored on the x51v; click and hold until you get the context menu; choose Open, then Choose Program; after a short delay you get a list; choose the Excel icon with the xls after it.
Mine shows about 4 Excel icons with different extensions.

John

That's what it sounded like to me (file assoc prob), but Excel Mobile actually opens up and then a fraction of a second later, the error window appears on top of it, which makes this even more bazaar. I have only a couple of other Excel files on my PDA, and they open fine.

I just tried something I thought might be the problem- I put the file actually in the PDA memory and not on one of my cards, but still get the same error trying to open it.

Box · 07-10-07, 07:55 PM

Try,
Copy and paste, the file from your PC to your PPC.

Sometimes that's all it takes. The PPC just needs to "think" it has converted it.

srvctec · 07-10-07, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Box

Try,
Copy and paste, the file from your PC to your PPC.

Sometimes that's all it takes. The PPC just needs to "think" it has converted it.

Just tried that and no luck either. I even removed the card and put it in my card reader, dragged the file directly to it and still have the same error with the card back in my PDA.

Julie · 07-10-07, 10:30 PM

First of all, you do not need to convert the xls files into the Pocket version for the Pocket PC to open them. Converting excel files into pocker versions just make the files smaller.

Are you able to open any Excel files that you have created on your computer on the Pocket PC?

This Excel file you downloaded could include some things in it that are not supported by Pocket Excel. Or perhaps it is saved in an older version of Excel. Have you tried saving the file as an Excel 2003 format (on your computer)?

If you would care to share the file, I would be happy to try it out on my Pocket PCs.

julie

srvctec · 07-10-07, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Julie

First of all, you do not need to convert the xls files into the Pocket version for the Pocket PC to open them. Converting excel files into pocker versions just make the files smaller.

Are you able to open any Excel files that you have created on your computer on the Pocket PC?

This Excel file you downloaded could include some things in it that are not supported by Pocket Excel. Or perhaps it is saved in an older version of Excel. Have you tried saving the file as an Excel 2003 format (on your computer)?

If you would care to share the file, I would be happy to try it out on my Pocket PCs.

julie

DING, DING, DING!!! Julie's the winner! Even though it was already an Excel file, I re-saved it as a 2003 Excel file and now it opens just fine. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of it being created by an incompatible version of Excel being the problem. It must have been created with a version of Excel not compatible with Pocket Excel.

Thank you Julie!!:approve:

Julie · 07-10-07, 11:33 PM

so where do I go to collect my prize? lol

Glad to hear you got it worked out.

julie