"An error occurred when sending commands to the program" in Excel

  • Commodity
  • 6 minutes to read
  • Applies to:
    Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, Microsoft Part Excel 2007

Symptoms

You receive the following error message in Microsoft Excel. This error indicates that some procedure that is running within Excel will not let Excel shut. An error occurred when sending commands to the plan

Resolution

To resolve this problem, try the post-obit methods, as appropriate, in the given club.

Method 1: Ignore DDE

To correct this setting, follow these steps:

  1. Select File > Options.
  2. Select Avant-garde, scroll down to the Full general department, so clear the Ignore other applications that utilise Dynamic Information Exchange (DDE) check box in the General expanse.
  3. SelectOK.

This problem may occur if the Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) bank check box in Excel options is selected.

When you double-click an Excel workbook in Windows Explorer, a dynamic data commutation (DDE) bulletin is sent to Excel. This bulletin instructs Excel to open up the workbook that you double-clicked.

If you select the "Ignore" option, Excel ignores DDE messages that are sent to it past other programs. Therefore, the DDE message that is sent to Excel by Windows Explorer is ignored, and Excel does not open the workbook that y'all double-clicked.

Note

For more data nearly how to turn off DDE, come across the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

211494 "At that place was a problem sending the command to the program" mistake in Excel

If these steps do not resolve the problem, go to Method 2.

Method ii: Repair User Feel Virtualization (UE-V)

If you are running Update User Experience Virtualization (UE-V), install Hotfix Package one for Microsoft User Feel Virtualization 2.0 (KB2927019).

If you are not certain whether you are running UE-V, examine the programme list in the Programs and Features item in Control Panel. An entry for "Company Settings Eye" indicates that you lot are running UE-V.

If these steps do not resolve the trouble, get to Method 3.

Method iii: Reset file associations

To bank check whether the file associations in the organisation are performing correctly, reset the Excel file associations to their default settings. To practice this, follow the steps for your operating organisation.Windows ten

  1. Right-click the Excel workbook, signal to Open with, and then click More apps.
  2. Select the version of Excel y'all desire to utilise to open up this file type, such as Excel 2016.
  3. Click to select Always use this app to open .xlsx files.
  4. Click OK.

Windows viii

  1. On the Start screen, type Command Panel.
  2. Select Control Panel.
  3. Select Default Programs > Gear up your default programs.
  4. Select Excel > Choose default for this program.
  5. On the Set Programme Associations screen, select Select All > Relieve.

Windows 7

  1. Select Start > Control Console.
  2. Select Default Programs.
  3. Select Associate a file blazon or protocol with a specific plan.
  4. Select Microsoft Excel Worksheet, and so select modify program.
  5. Under Recommended Programs, select Microsoft Excel.
  6. If Excel does non appear in this list, select Browse, locate the Excel installation folder, select Excel.exe > Excel.

If these steps exercise not resolve the problem, go to Method iv.

Method 4: Repair Role

Endeavor to repair your Office programs. To practice this, follow the steps for your installation type and operating system.

For an Role 365 Click-to-Run installation

Windows 10

  1. In the search box, type Command Panel, and and so click Command Panel in the search results.
  2. Under Programs, click Uninstall a program.
  3. Click Microsoft Office 365 > Modify.
  4. Click Online Repair > Repair.

Note

Yous may have to restart your computer after the repair procedure is completed. Windows 8

  1. On the Get-go screen, blazon Command Panel.
  2. Select Control Panel.
  3. Under Programs, select Uninstall a plan.
  4. Select **Microsoft Function 365 **> Change.
  5. Select Online Repair > Repair.

Note

Yous may have to restart your estimator later on the repair procedure is finished.

Windows seven

  1. Select Start >Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Programs and Features.
  3. Select **Microsoft Function 365 **> Modify.
  4. Select Online Repair > Repair.

Notation

You may have to restart your computer after the repair process is consummate.

Select the Online Repair option to repair office.

For an Office 2016, 2013, Office 2010, or Office 2007 installation

To repair Role 2013, Role 2010, or Role 2007, follow the steps in the following Office website topic:

Repair Role programs

If these steps do not resolve the problem, go to Method v.

Method five: Turn off add-ins

Excel and COM add-in programs tin also cause this problem. These two kinds of add-ins are located in different folders. For testing, disable and isolate the conflict by turning off each add-in 1 at a fourth dimension. To exercise this, follow these steps:

  1. On the File carte du jour, select Options > Add-Ins.
  2. In the Manage list at the bottom of the screen, select COM Add-Ins > Go.
  3. Articulate i of the add-ins in the list, and then select OK.
  4. Restart Excel by double-clicking the icon or file name for the workbook that you are trying to open.
  5. If the trouble persists, repeat steps 1-four, except select a dissimilar add-in in step 3.
  6. If the trouble persists later on you lot clear all the COM Add together-ins, repeat steps 1-4, except select Excel Add-Ins in step 2, so try each of the Excel add-ins one at a time in step 3.

If Excel loads the file, the add-in you last turned off is causing the problem. If this is the case, we recommend that yous visit the manufacturer'south website for the add-in to acquire whether an updated version of the add-in is bachelor. If a newer version of the add-in is not available, or if you lot don't have to use the add-in, you tin leave it turned off.

If Excel does not open the file after you plow off all the add-ins, the trouble has a different cause.

If these steps do not resolve the problem, go to Method 6.

Method vi: Disable hardware acceleration

To work around this problem, disable hardware acceleration until a fix is released by your video carte du jour manufacturer. Make sure to cheque regularly for updates to your video card driver.

To disable hardware acceleration, follow these steps:

  1. Starting time any Role 2013 program.

  2. On the File tab, select Options.

  3. In the Options dialog box, select Avant-garde.

  4. In the list of available options, select the Disable hardware graphics acceleration check box.

    The following screen shot shows this choice in Excel.

    Select the Disable hardware graphics acceleration option to disable hardware acceleration in Office Options setting.

  5. Select OK.

If these steps practise not resolve the problem, become to Method 7.

Method 7: Verify or install the latest updates

You may have to set Windows Update to automatically download and install recommended updates. Installing whatever important, recommended, and optional updates can frequently correct issues by replacing out-of-date files and fixing vulnerabilities.

For more information about Office updates, click the following commodity number to go to the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Part Updates

Microsoft Support

More than Data

There are many possible reasons that might lead to this error.

  • The Excel workbook tries to access data from another application that is nonetheless agile.
  • Too many Excel add-ins have been added to the program, or one of the add-ins is corrupted.
  • You might have taken 1 of the following deportment:
    • Utilize a tertiary-party add-in or application
    • Try to open up an embedded object
    • Save or open a file
    • Endeavor to utilize the Send as Attachment option
    • Call some other awarding from the Excel workbook

For more information about this problem and for additional troubleshooting steps, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:

2616247 Why does "An error occurred when sending commands to the program" appear when opening Excel 2010 files? (Easy Fix Article)

2994633 Excel: How to Troubleshoot Excel opening blank when you double-click a file icon or file name