Excel Won't Work with Guest Extensions Installed

[gdavis]

I am running the latest virtualbox and latest guest extensions (windows 10) on a os X host. When I try to open an excel file by double clicking on it, excel 2016 won't open the file (see attachment). If I uninstall guest extensions everything works fine. Has anyone had this issue?

Capture1.PNG (26.95 KiB) Viewed 1534 times

[socratis]

You've got to be careful with the terminology. There are two distinct things:

• The Extension Pack (ExtPack) gets installed on the host and it has to match the VirtualBox version. It provides functionality such as USB2-3, Webcam, VRDP, PXE, PCI passthrough on Linux hosts, VDI Encryption. You have to download it and install it separately from the main VirtualBox program, due to its license.
• The Guest Additions (GAs) get installed on the guest and it would be good to match the VirtualBox version, for anything other than enhanced graphics support. It provides functionality such as shared folders, shared clipboard, drag and drop, pointer sharing (for PS/2 mice), enhanced graphics support. You do not have to download it separately from the main VirtualBox program, since it comes bundled with it.

The attachment could be avoided altogether, it's not that helpful in this situation. What would be helpful are some answers:

• Where do you dbl-click the Excel file? On your host? Your guest?
• Do you use any "funky" mode, like full-screen or seamless?
• Do other files open with dbl-click? Something in Notepad for example?
• What happens if instead of dbl-click you press <Enter>?

PS. "Latest" is not a version, or at least it's not going to be the same in a couple of months when someone bumps in your post. Please always post complete versions of the involved software. For example:

I am running the latest VirtualBox 5.2.8 r121009 and latest matching guest extensions additions (Windows 10, version 1703, build 15063.726) on a OSX 10.3.4 host.

[gdavis]

Thank you for the response.

I am running Windows 10 Education version 1703, OS build 15063.674 using VirtualBox 5.2.8 r121009 (Qt5.6.3) on a Mac OS 10.13.3 host. Extension pack 5.2.8 is installed on the Mac OS 10.13.3 host. With Oracle VM Virtualbox Guest Additions 5.2.8 installed on the guest, I cannot open an Excel file by double clicking on the file or pressing <enter>. When Oracle VM Virtualbox Guest Additions 5.2.8 is uninstalled on the guest, double clicking or pressing <enter> on an excel file works perfectly. I rely on drag and drop, as well as full screen.

[socratis]

Thank you for that! You didn't answer an important question:

Do other files open with dbl-click? Something in Notepad for example?

Because the only thing I can think of, is some weird setting in Excel that was using 3D graphics to do animations. Shut down the VM, disable 3D acceleration (and 2D while you're at it) and try that. With the GAs installed of course. See if that improves the situation...

Oh, and try something simpler, i.e. no full screen, no DnD, etc...

[gdavis]

Sorry, yes all other files that I have tried open correctly. It seems to be limited to Excel files. On a good note, disabling 3d and 2d acceleration did the trick. Thank you very much!

[socratis]

Great!
• Now, enable 2D, try it out.
• Then enable 3D, try it out.
• Then with both 2D/3D enabled, check for a preference in Excel about something that deals with "Animations", "Fancy Graphics", or similar.

Let me know what you come up with, because I don't have Excel to try it out...