Excel2013 Entire Toolbar Ribbon is missing

[jfarc]

A client of mine just replaced her old PC with one with Windows7 & then she purchased at Best Buy & downloaded Excel2013. First time I'm looking at this version.

Very strange. When we open up a blank instance of Excel and/or from this already open Excel window and then open a previously created Excel workbook, then everything appears fine.

But, if we simply attempt to open a previously saved Excel workbook without already having Excel open(from the Windows Explorer folder menu for example), then the entire Excel toolbar/ribbon (everything above the Formulas bar) is missing. There is a blank white space(1.5 inches) as if it were there, but nothing is there. Even the (-) Minimize and (X) Close buttons usually up at the top right are missing. Nothing on the left side where the Excel button should be either. We can click everywhere in this blank area and nothing happens

Also, no keyboard shortcuts work when the toolbar is blank. (Alt-T O) for example to open the Options window.

This missing toolbar happens during all the following ways when an Excel workbook is opened(as long is there is not an already open instance of Excel):

From Windows Explorer - open a previously created/saved workbook.
From the Recent Files menu
All previously created/saved versions of Excel workbooks - .xlsx / .xls / .csv / .txt / etc, etc.
An .xlsx workbook newly created with this version of Excel2013 and saved for the first time and then re-opened
Excel workbooks with or without Macros
An Excel workbook opened from a script inside another routine(from VBA Reflection) for example.

Did a Google search and found nothing. Any ideas?

 

[Jimbo411]

Yeah, I tell ya, I'm having other little quirky(stupid) issues with Excel2013. Again in their infinite wisdom, MS decided on any time a macro is run to automatically minimize the entire Excel window. Sometimes a routine may take 30-45secs to complete and now since the end user doesn't see anything, they start worrying nothing is happening.

Also, when they go to open up an existing workbook, it usually doesn't pop right open, it stays hidden in the startbar below. It sometimes takes a dozen left clicks on the Excel button in the startbar to get the already open(but hidden) workbook to appear in a normal visible window.

Never had those problems and I'm a pretty heavy macro user with some full on applications. Might be stating the obvious but doesn't Application.Screenupdating=False stop that?

 

[mikepfly2]

I read the quote but didn't think it related to the problem. However, I did carry out the repair but the problem re-appeared today.

Seeing the same thing. It's not consistent but seems to occur when I create a new workbook with a custom ribbon tab.
It's not an issue with Excel 2007 or 2010. Very frustrating as more people start to migrate to 2013.
Jimbo, did you ever figure anything out with the workbook_open macro issue?

 

[Jimbo411]

Seeing the same thing. It's not consistent but seems to occur when I create a new workbook with a custom ribbon tab.
It's not an issue with Excel 2007 or 2010. Very frustrating as more people start to migrate to 2013.
Jimbo, did you ever figure anything out with the workbook_open macro issue?

Yep, I had Microsoft take over my PC to view the problem first hand and they informed me it was a known problem with Excel 2013 and that a fix was due out in Mar2015. There have been quite a few updates during the month and so far I haven't had a re-occurance of the problem. Fingures crossed....

 

[Jimbo411]

Update on my situation, it hasn't gone away. Frustrating as Microsoft say it's a known problem, so not much I can do until the fix arrives. They seem to be a little late with their mid march timescale.

 

[Jimbo411]

One workaround I did find. If you open the spreadsheet from an untrusted location and consequently confim you want to run macros, the problem doesn't occur.

 

[neb255]

has anyone had any success in finding a final solution to this? i just finished updating to the latest patch but im still having this issue after any macro runs.

 

[Jimbo411]

Seeing the same thing. It's not consistent but seems to occur when I create a new workbook with a custom ribbon tab.
It's not an issue with Excel 2007 or 2010. Very frustrating as more people start to migrate to 2013.
Jimbo, did you ever figure anything out with the workbook_open macro issue?

The only fix that definately eliminates the problem is to open the workbook from an untrusted directory and take the option to run macros. Other than that, it soetimes works if Excel is already open before you open the workbook containing the auto_open.

Microsoft told me they were fixing this in March!!