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

Well I gave up trying to figure it out. Makes no sense to me. I just
ended up writing a script to have the server that produced the MHT
files open/save them as Excel 2003 XLS. This completely bypassed the
issue. Fringe benefit was the size of the XLS was only a quarter of
the size of the original MHT. Thanks to everyone who chipped in on
this issue.

-Matt

On Mon, Jul 21, 2008 at 1:46 PM, Matt Kosht <matt.kosht@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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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