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Several years ago I purchased a piece of software designed to help download online bank statements into a user’s QuickBooks accounting software. Shortly after I purchased it, I learned that my bank’s online banking web site already had adequate software for my needs. After one or two abortive efforts, I never again used the 3rd party software I purchased and installed. After one or two years, I actually uninstalled it. I don’t see why I should not name the software, which might be familiar to someone who sees this question and is still in use by some—it is called StatementConverter.

Excel gets involved in the story because StatementConverter works by importing an Excel spreadsheet of the user’s bank statement to the user, and then converting that spreadsheet into a format that can be imported into QuickBooks.

Within the past year, for reasons completely unclear to me, every time I launch Excel, an error message appears stating that a file having to do with that software I uninstalled cannot be found; it might be renamed or moved or deleted. This message appears immediately every single time Excel is launched, every time a new workbook is created, etc. This is a screen shot of the message:

(I see that the screen shot, previously pasted into the document I wrote to post, did not survive the process of pasting into this space.

I can say that the message is essentially "StatementConverter file 2_7.xla cannot be found. Check the spelling of the file's name and make sure it is correctly spelled and that the file has not been moved or deleted."
A little more language comes before and after this statement, but this is the gist of the message.)

If one clicks on the OK button at the bottom of this message, the launch of Excel proceeds uneventfully and Excel functions normally. It’s just an annoying hiccup that recurs, a reliable nuisance that I could and do live with, but it irritates me.

I decided to look again to make sure the program had been removed. To the best of my ability to know, I believe it has. I cannot find any trace of it anywhere on my machine when I search for its name. As I recall, the process of un-installing it was uneventful at the time.

Then I e-mailed the gentleman I bought the program from and described the problem, specifically mentioning that I had uninstalled the software previously. Very promptly he sent me to an internet link with instructions in how to un-install StatementConverter. The instructions included opening an Excel spreadsheet and noticing that under the Add-Ins tab, I would see StatementConverter as an installed option. I should uncheck the checked box next to it, quit the program and re-start Excel and the problem should be solved.

I did exactly as instructed, only to find that under Add-Ins, StatementConverter was not listed, there was no checkbox checked next to it and nothing there looked like the image available at the link I had gone to first. There was however a single entry under Add-Ins: a partially-grayed-out entry saying QB converter--I thought it best to delete this (a right-click on it offered the option to do so permanently-- and I found that having done so, the Add-Ins tab disappeared from Excel's toolbar) --I took a screen shot of this, as well as screen shots elsewhere to prove that StatementConverter is not evident on my machine anywhere. Having done this, I found that the error message on Excel start-up still persisted. I sent all of these pictures back to the gentleman, who wrote back to me promptly, saying “please follow the directions I sent you previously to un-install StatementConverter”

I feel obligated to say that I intend no criticism of either StatementConverter or of its creator. The software came well-recommended and still seems well-regarded, judging by comments available on the internet. It was not an expensive purchase as such things go. And it has not caused any major problem to me. Excel functions normally, once the bump at start-up is passed, which occurs without delay as soon as the OK button is clicked. I’m sure this problem could happen with other software also and I don’t take it as reflecting badly on the person who wrote it. I just want to get the problem solved if possible.

You should know that my version of Excel is very old—it’s Excel 2007—and is no longer supported by Microsoft. Maybe the solution would simply be to upgrade my Windows Office software. It seems to me, as a computer ignoramus, that the problem is not that StatementConverter is still installed somewhere on my machine. It isn't. The problem is that I can’t convince Excel of that fact, and it still looks for that file every time it launches. I have no need of an upgraded version of Excel—for my modest needs the old version works fine. But I almost feel like upgrading merely to get rid of this nuisance. On the other hand, I’m a little afraid that the problem might persist even with upgraded software. I want to avoid that experience.



What do you think?


Thanks so much.

There are several things that come to mind, as I too have experienced similar on occasion.

You already looked at the ADD-INS which is the first thing to do. Since it is no longer listed there amongst the other addins ... sounds like maybe there is a setting / or entry somewhere in your system still pointing to the software ?

Do you have any software that reviews the Windows Registry to remove outdated entries ? If not, for what it is worth, I use the free version of IOBit software. They produce several different pieces of software that perform various functions. One is the Registry cleaner.

What about a Software Uninstaller ? You indicated you've already uninstalled the softwar package ... was it using the software manufacturer's built-in uninstaller ? Again, IOBit has an excellent free version. The problem though, if you were not using IOBit at the time of installation of the problem software, IOBit uninstaller may not be able to locate the software "leftovers".

My last gasp approach is to uninstall EXCEL (mine comes with the Office Pkg so I uninstall the entire thing) .. then re-install. That method has never failed to clean up persistent issues that simply won't go away. It's drastic ... but it works here.

I too run Excel 2007. Been thinking about upgrading due to lack of support from MS. I've downloaded and saved all of the last upgrades to 2007 for use in the future just in case I need to re-install everything. Sooner or later, even the upgrades will no longer be available.

My 2 cents.

Cheers.

Cross-posted at: https://www.mrexcel.com/forum/excel-...-1st-post.html
For cross-posting etiquette, please read: http://www.excelguru.ca/content.php?184

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]