Combine MS Word and MS Excel Spreadsheets into One Document

Quite often a user needs to create a presentation with both Word documents and Excel spreadsheets. There is an effective way to do this so that the presentation stays in order and contained within one document, which is helpful when printing or distributing the file electronically.

Create the text portion of the presentation using Microsoft Word. If the presentation consists of numerous ideas, it is OK to write them in separate documents. These separate documents will all be combined in the end. Be sure to spell check and then save the documents into their own folder for easy sorting. Also be sure to give a meaningful name to each file so that they will be easy to find. Sometimes it is a good idea to begin the name of each document with a number, for instance "001 - ideas.doc" and "002 - more ideas.doc", so that they may be easily kept in order.

Now, create the Excel spreadsheets. The same idea applies to these files. Save them into their own folder for easy sorting. It is a good idea to keep the Word documents and the Excel spreadsheets separate.  Create the "master" document using Microsoft Word by opening MS Word and selecting "new" and then "blank document." Assign a meaningful name to this document, like "Master.doc." Be sure the cursor is blinking in the open blank space at the top of the blank document and then select the "Insert" menu and then "Object." This will open the "object" window. Select the tab for "Create from File." Be sure the check box beside "Link to File" is selected. If not, select it before proceeding. Now, click the "Browse" button and navigate to the folder where you saved the MS Word document or the Excel spreadsheet that you would like to use to begin the presentation. Select the file and press the "insert" button. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary to compile a complete presentation consisting of both MS Word and Excel files.

When the "Master Document" is complete, be sure to save it. If changes should be made to any of the individual files, they may be done by opening the master document, double-clicking the section that needs to be changed, making the changes, and saving the file.  Do not delete the original MS Word documents or Excel spreadsheets! The "Master Document" is only linked to these files.

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Fix "C:Documents.xls' could not be found" error in Excel

When opening any Excel spreadsheet by double clicking the file, Excel successfully opens, but so does the following error: "'C\Documents.xls' could not be found. Check the spelling of the filename, and verify that the file location is correct. If you are trying to open the file from your list of most recently used files on the file menu, make sure that the file has not been renamed, moved or deleted." This is followed by several more errors referencing similar filenames which do not exist. The spreadsheet will eventually open, but only after much aggravation.

The fix for this problem is simple. Excel must be unregistered and then re-registered. To do this, close your spreadsheet if it is open and exit from Excel. Click the Windows "Start Button" and then click "Run." Type this phrase exactly "excel /unregserver" (minus the quotation marks.) Click the "OK" button and the window will close.  Then click the Windows "Start Button" again and click "Run." Type this phrase exactly "excel /regserver" (minus the quotation marks.) Click the "OK" button and the window will close.

Try to open your Excel spreadsheet again by double-clicking the file. It should open this time with no errors. This procedure resets Excel to it's factory defaults in the Windows registry. You should not have to reactivate Excel after performing these steps.

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