I have Excel in my startup menue. I use to be able to hoover over it and it would show me my most recent documents. Now I have to open Excel ot see my documents. i tried uninstall/reinstall but that didn't work. Any suggestions?




Thanks

Some questions to circle in on your problem:

What version of Windows are you using? XP, Vista, or Win 7
What version of Excel?
Can you see if you still have this issue with another mouse?
If you can remember when this started can you do a Restore back to previous of the date?
Have you done a Restart?
Is this happening with other Start menu stuff, such as Word?

Hi zyzzyva,

I'd have thought it rather obvious from og2471's profile, that the OS is Win 7x32, with Office 2007.

And what has a change in mouse got to do with it? Either the hover display is working, or it isn't - a change of mouse won't affect that.

og2471: I assume you're referring to what shows on the Windows Start menu. In that case, the first thing to do would be:
1. Right Click on the Start button.
2. Select Properties tab.
3. Ensure the options -
• "Store and display recently opened programs in the Start Menu"; and
• "Store and display recently opened items in the Start Menu and the Taskbar"
are both checked.
For further info, see http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/w...the-Start-menu

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

When I troubleshoot, I start with some of the obvious, things my mind wants more complex that are not, e.g., doing a simple Restart or going to bed to get a good nights sleep--These two things are simply amazing

I like to work backwards eliminating the simple to the complex

He did an uninstall / reinstall, which if he used Windows Uninstaller kept many of his settings in Registry, so if it is an Excel issue, then the issue likely remains...This is why I uninstall with Revo's Free Uninstaller, because I want to totally clean out my Registry with an Uninstall

But is this an Excel issue? What about other Office programs such as Word? Do other non-Office programs in his Start menu do this? If the answer is Yes, then I would move to my Windows settings

My mouse point is this: maybe the mouse has a problem, which on my own system I want to eliminate as a problem..Maybe a battery is weak, yet showing it is not...Maybe a Mouse setting has changed with all the troubleshooting...Maybe a Window patch caused it....I have learned with many Window issues do NOT ask why, just make whatever work again

Next, if I can establish a "when," then I would seek to Restore just previous to that point

I have learned at Hard Knock U Computer Academy to work from the simple backwards--things I am just absolutely, positively sure cannot be it, but turns out is

Uninstalling/reinstalling would have no effect - this is a Windows issue, not an application - or mouse - issue. Giving sound advice means starting with the most likely causes, not esoteric ones that I doubt you'll find that many people have ever reported. Weak mouse battery? Crap! Likewise, wiping out Excel with Revo Uninstaller cannot fix the problem - all it means is the user will have to reinstall Excel again - and the problem will still be there.

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

Windows uninstaller does not completely clean out the registry

Why for example if you install a trial program not asking for personal data does the program "know" if after the trial period and you reinstall the program knows you have used it before"? Uninstall Windows the usual way and do a reinstall and you will find most of the setting remain

Therefore, uninstalling - re installing Office repeats the problem or set-up unless you clean the Registry -- In sum: a basic reinstall is NOT installing a virgin copy of the Office product

I would only suggest a doing an install / restall after other things have been tried

Sorry, but I would suggest anyone start with the most obvious and work inward -- Don't assume anything even with the mouse -- FYI, a mouse battery show it is okay, yet be below exactly what is needed

That's all very good, but it's completely irrelevant. Uninstalling/reinstalling an application isn't going to change whether Windows is showing recent files.
The mouse is the least likely culprit, simply because if it had a low battery (and you don't even know if og2471 is using a mouse, let alone whether it has a battery), then the cursor would stop working altogether - either with someting displayed as a result of the cursor being in a 'hover' location when it stopped, or with just the pointer on screen.

Your advice and reasoning displays a fundamental lack of understanding of the difference between OS issues and application issues.

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