Excel versions supported in NX7.5 / Win7-64bit

[potrero]

Just found out that Excel 2003 is not supported on Windows 7 x64 + NX7.5. Launching the Spreadsheet results in an error: "Failed to create new Excel Workbook". (Note that if I open an NX part created in NX6, with modified spreadsheets in the part, then the spreadsheet application launches OK. This is a reasonable workaround for the time being; just need to modify the custom part templates to include an excel workbook in each application - Modeling, Gateway, Sheetmetal, etc - that might be desired for new NX7.5/Win7x64 parts).

This is fairly disappointing; we've stayed with Excel 2003 because of its clean, simple interface and just basic functionality. A trial move to Excel 2007 caused a lot of our custom VB code to break in fairly complex ways.

However, we need to use the embedded spreadsheet functionality in NX7.5 and so we're considering upgrading from Excel 2003. The question is: upgrade to Excel 2007, or go all the way to Excel 2010.

Our ecosystem includes PC's running WinXP-32bit, WinXP-64bit, and Win7-64bit. We use both NX6 and NX7.5. I am looking for a simple chart or matrix explaining the compatibility of each of these combinations with Excel 2003, 2007, and 2010. Can anyone comment on this? I searched GTAC but could not find any information about Excel 2010.

Thanks.

 

[cpttrips]

We had this problem with NX5 on Win7x64 with Excel 2003 also. Seems the issue is with how Excel 2003 writes itself into the registry in Win7.

The solution for us was to copy the registry branch for Excel off of one of our XPx64 machines and merge it into the Win7 registry.

I've attached our registry file if you want to experiment.

 

[potrero]

whoa... how'd you come up with this solution? I'm a bit nervous of just adding that to the Win7 registry...

 

[cpttrips]

Well, I started with a GTAC solution center search which stated that the problem was related to how WoW (Windows on Windows) dealt with the registry of 32-bit applications (refR-01798177). Since we only saw the problem on mahcines with a clean Win7x64 install with Excel 2003, but not on machines running XPx64/Excel 2003 or Win7x64/Excel 2007, I started hunting through the registry looking for differences related to Excel. What I found was that with XP or Excel 2007 the office keys located in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office branch that were not on the Win7/Excel 2003 machines.

On Win7, Office 2003 only installs the keys under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Office node, so on a "hunch" that this might fix the problem, I exported the XPx64 office branch and imported it into the Win7 machine and it worked.

Obviously our registry file is based on our installation, so I can't guarantee that it will work or even not screw up your computer. I posted it if you wanted to experiment with it. If you do import it, I would highly recommend first creating a restore point so you can undo it if necessary.

 

[potrero]

I do appreciate you posting the file; don't get me wrong. I just looked at one of our workstations running WinXP-64bit, NX6, and Excel 2003, and it looks like there ALL entries for "Office" are under the Wow6432Node branch... strange.