XL5: Registry Not Updated After Reinstall Under Windows NT

• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0

SUMMARY

When you run the Setup program for Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows NT, and you choose the Remove All option, some information is left in the Registry database. This information includes the following:

• The number of worksheets that will be included in a new workbook
• Which Add-ins should be loaded at startup
• Macros and Visual Basic procedures in your PERSONAL.XLS file
• Settings stored in the EXCEL5.XLB file

For example, after you run a Typical installation, the Microsoft Query add- in may be automatically loaded, even thought this is not expected behavior for a Typical installation. Microsoft Query is available because Setup does not alter the Registry entries for XLQUERY and XLQUERY1 in HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\EXCEL\5.0\INIT COMMANDS.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, manually clear the entries in HKEY_CURRENT_USER after you uninstall the Complete installation.

STATUS

This is expected behavior for Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows NT. Microsoft Excel works from the old entries for the following reasons:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER may not be the user that uninstalled or reinstalled Microsoft Excel.

  -and-

• The current user may want to reinstall Microsoft Excel with his/her existing settings preserved.

MORE INFORMATION

This situation occurs only when you run Setup in maintenance mode, and you uninstall a Complete installation and then reinstall an installation that includes fewer components than the Complete installation (for example, you would experience this problem if you uninstall a Complete installation and then perform a Typical installation).

When you uninstall the Complete setup, entries ARE removed from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. However, after you reinstall and restart Microsoft Excel, the new entries are not copied from HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to HKEY_CURRENT_USER.