[THIN] Re: Sort of OT - Excel 2003 locks up on MHT (web archive) files

I have tried wireshark and processexplorer but couldn't find anything with them.

I think I have at least figured out WHY the Excel load of the MHT file
hangs up. In the MHT file itself there is a line that has this in it

Content-Location: http://localhost/excel.htm

The file indicates it's in Excel 10 (the one included in Office XP) format

On PC/servers that have no issue loading the MHT file. Entering
http://localhost/excel.htm as a URL instantly produces an expected
HTTP 400 - Bad Request. On PC's that hang IE seems to wait forever to
resolve this. I have no idea why one PC will immediately fail and
another will wait forever. I am still trying to figure it out.

-Matt

On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 8:38 PM, Stephanie Atkinson <miitgal@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Have you tried running ProcessExplorer or Filemon?
>
> Stephanie Atkinson
> Systems Administrator
> ADP Hosting Services
>
> Matt Kosht <matt.kosht@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I am reposting this issue as I am still dealing with this scenario.
> I recently rebuilt a Citrix server in the farm and low and behold it
> can open MHT files without issue using Excel 2003 (same patch level
> too). It is from the same base image as others that do have the issue
> though. The working server is in the same OU and uses the same GPO's.
> Why it works and the others don't I can't seem to find the
> difference.
>
> This is the scenario on other servers.
>
> 1. Open myfile.mht with IE 6 by double clicking, opens file without
> issue (though the dates in the file are incorrectly formatted show an
> integer instead of a date)
> 2. Launch MS Excel 2003 SP3, File, Open, Change files of type to "All
> Web Pages", open myfile.mht
> 3. Excel just hangs (EXCEL.EXE is still running but doesn't respond)
>
>
>
> On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 11:20 AM, Matt Kosht wrote:
>> On Sun, May 25, 2008 at 3:52 PM, Rick Mack wrote:
>>> Hi Matt,
>>>
>>> It'd help to know what error the users were getting when they tried to
>>> open
>>> the files, and in what scenario, eg web application, cognos etc
>>>
>>> A terminal services environment is by default more locked down than
>>> Windows
>>> XP so using the same GPO won't necessarily prove anything.
>>>
>>> But in the case of .mht files, it could be as simple as a missing file
>>> association.
>>>
>>> If we look at the file association for .mht it's obvious that on a
>>> standard
>>> TS server, the .mht file type is associated with IE.
>>>
>>> C:\>assoc .mht
>>> .mht=mhtmlfile
>>>
>>> C:\>ftype mhtmlfile
>>> mhtmlfile="C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -nohome
>>>
>>> Repeat the two commands on your XP workstation to see if it has the same
>>> file association. I wouldn't be surprised to find it associated with
>>> excel
>>> instead. In that case, try running the following commands on a test
>>> server.
>>>
>>> assoc .mht=mthfile
>>>
>>> assoc mhtlfile="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office11\excel.exe"
>>> "%1"
>>>
>>> Also note that you'll need Office 2003 or later to open .mht files
>>> successfully with excel.
>>>
>>> regards,
>>>
>>> Rick
>>>
>>> --
>>> Ulrich Mack
>>> Quest Software
>>> Provision Networks Division
>>>
>>>
>>> On 5/22/08, Matt Kosht wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Having an issue on Citrix servers with users opening these types of
>>>> files. I have no issue loading the same files on an XP workstation
>>>> with the same release of Excel (same patches too). Even put the XP
>>>> workstation under the same GPO to rule that out and it still works on
>>>> XP, but not on Win2K3R2/Citrix PS4.0 servers. I am stuck as to what
>>>> might be causing this issue any ideas would be welcome.
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I got the same results as you on assoc and ftype on Citrix TS and on
>> XP (both use Iexplore.exe as default). Unfortunately there is no error
>> message, they simply lock Excel to a forever not responding status.
>> Excel 2007 doesn't have the issue and I can resave the file as an MHT
>> and Excel 2003 can open it without issue. IE 6 can also open the file
>> with no issue (except the date displays as a Julian number instead of
>> a date). The text of the original MHT file itself indicates Excel 11
>> (aka Excel 2002 from Office XP).
>>
>> This started a few weeks ago but I can't seem to figure out if it was
>> an Excel patch or setting from GPO that made it start doing this. The
>> MHT files are produced by Cognos Business Analytic Report Server if
>> that helps.
>>
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> Wishing you a wonderful day!
>
> Stephanie
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