Home Forums Discussions Problems Problem opening Excel spreadsheets

This has been discussed in the past and I thought I understood the solution, but clearly I do not.
Periodically when we try to open an Excel spreadsheet in the imported items area of AC, it will not open natively, within the AC pane, but instead opens separately in Excel. This would happen occasionally in the past, but is now happening consistently. I am not sure if it is related to the version of Excel, or what.
Any ideas?

I have this trouble also with Word. I never had it with PDFs until I abandoned Adobe Reader for another PDF app, which now no longer opens in the II window, but instead in a separate window. Now how did Adobe Reader know how to open within AC, but another app does not?

So I'd like to know how to instruct AC to open the document within the II window, using the designated application.

Jon,

Every excel spreadsheet I open always opens up separately into Excel and not within the window in the exported items. I thought this was normal?

One thing to check is at an OS level, when you click on that type of file, what application opens the file up, and is it the same as what you are expecting - this goes back to the OS level - what default application.

We had moved to an open-source PDf reader for performance and security reasons, but had to go back because AC didn't respect the OS level default program.

So, it is a mixed bag at best, especially if you go off the M$ reservation.

It may be "normal" but when the stars are aligned properly, it opens right in the AC pane, which is much more convenient.
At the very least, pdf's open this way.
Sometimes, Word and Excel files do; at other times they do not.

Indy, I think you are pointing us in the right direction. As I think about it, the situation changes when there is a change in the default program the OS uses to open the document. So my latest problem began when I tried to switch to Open Office on one of our machines. When I made that the default program to open Word files, it became clear that those files would not open in AC. (This is consistent with what you describe; a non-M$ program). When I changed the default back, though, the problem was not corrected.
I think the same thing occurred previously when my "trial version" of Office was called upon to open a document that was emailed to me. That changed the default for opening some Word and Excel files, and I lost the ability to open those files in AC. I managed to get it back, but now it is gone again with the Open Office issue.
Default is now set back to the earlier Word and Excel versions (2003) that worked before, but the behavior is the same.

Any suggestions?

I have a related problem. I use a MacBook Pro with AC running under Parallels. I use excel spreadsheets to record stuff in Imported Items but the spreadsheets are very slow to open. When open them on my other office computers which are PC's it's much faster. Has anyone else using a Mac run into this issue?

Sorry, John...we are still living in a PC world.

Leslie, I know you have a lot of expertise with Excel spreadsheets and AC. Any ideas?

Jon, is that a quote from Madonna before her Sean Penn days?

My guess is that there is an internal setting in AC as to whether or not the machine it is running on has a M$ app on it, or the file needs to be passed to the OS to have the OS attempt to open it. Probably once set (or updated via a message from the OS), it doesn't seem like it looks again.

Sounds like one more question to ask AC support, which is how do we re-set that flag/variable, or point it to the correct third-party app to call.

If it is in a config file in say XML, easy enough to find it and change it; most of the folks on the board could knock that out in minutes.

I am not optimistic that I can explain this to them, and then get a response (at least pre-V7 ) but I will give it a shot.

I have this problem opening up PDFs in the imported items tab. I have Adobe 9 installed. I would much prefer if the document opened within the frame of the AC window instead of opening a new window. I asked tech support yesterday. Timmy didn't know the answer, assumed that there was some setting I could adjust if I right clicked on the item, but didn't know what it was. Needless to say, there was no setting I could find.
Thoughts????

Hi Bill,

In Adobe 9, go to Edit --> Preferences --> Internet (on the left hand column).

At the top make sure that "Display PDF in Browser" is checked. If it is, then your PDF should open up in AC. That would also give you the option to right-click and choose open in native application.

Bert,
I don't suppose you know of a corresponding fix for Excel, do you?

Let me look.

Ok, times up.

Seriously; I have spent hours on this intermittently since I started with AC. If you find a good fix, I will be (back) in debt to you!

Good example of something that a direct response from AC Tech Support could solve or settle this issue. We just need to know how AC chooses a helper program that opens in the Import Items window. Obviously, XML documents from the letter writer and Adobe Reader can do this.

C'mon AC techs...25 words or less!

I feel the same way.

OK, how to open Excel inside of AC for XP. I will go over WIN 7 later.

Just called support, and they walked me through it in minutes.

But, it's going to cost you.

You bet it is. My wife, who is also a physician in the office, has been telling me "just call AC support about it". But of course I was too stubborn. Can't you please tell me you figured it out yourself? It would save me a couple of "I told you so's".

I basically knew how to do it. Support has generally never helped me. But, right now, I can only show XP.

How to open Excel within AC in Imported Items:

http://tinyurl.com/AC-Open-Excel

For WIN 7, which for some reason makes it impossible to change what programs open in what programs (although it has to be there), you can use the following links. These involve registry changes, so proceed at your own risk. I would try it on a sandbox, but if you are really serious about it, I would back up the registry and try it. On the Excel that I was trying to make work, the registry settings were already set to open in a program like AC. Keep in mind that opening in a browser is akin to opening in AC for the most part. The little Fix It guy is actually pretty good. Certainly, better than the guy in AC. All he does is say,

Step 1 Yep your firewall is OK
Step 2 Yep your port is open
Step 3 Yep your computer is on (forgot this one)
Step 4 Oh, sorry, you're screwed

Press the button on the left to try again, or
Press the button on the right to try again.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/982995

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927009

So is the Fix It guy the less risky route to go?
And I use the first link with Win7 and Office 2010, and the second one for Win7 and Office 2007?

The XP fix is completely safe.

The Fix It guy should work for all of them, but I haven't tested him. I would try it on a different computer.

Wow, I have to say I am perplexed by the lack of response on these ideas. I suppose everyone who was looking for these solutions must have switched to WIN 7 long before I.

Certainly, Excel, Word, Adobe, etc. can be made to open both in AC and in their own application.

Microsoft, as they often do, e.g. not allowing certain files to be attached by default because we're too stupid to know better, locked this feature down in WIN 7. But, it still can be done using the registry. Just takes some poking around. I am not going to do it, because I have no need to.

But, if you are using XP or earlier, it's simple.

On XP we are fine; the setting is already there, and Excel and Word open as they should.

As to our Win 7 machines, I am a little slow to change registry settings for something like this; especially since the setting may already be there (as it was for you)...but I will get to it.

I tried the Microsoft Fix-It guy on the links provided. The application downloads & runs, but ends in an error message "This registry edit does not apply to your operating system or application".

Sad to report that Mr. Fixit did not work for us. No error message; just no change in the behavior of the program.

It has been a few days since I checked the posts on this. I tried your fix and it works great, so thanks Burt.

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Don't download the file above. This guy is a spammer: http://www.stopforumspam.com/ipcheck/80.77.95.229

That's probably a virus as well.

John Dempsey:

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3. Try introducing yourself to the board
4. Don't end your website or URL address in an .exe. Most people don't like to download those.
5. Don't use pstviewers.com as your domain.
6. Don't answer questions from 9/11/2011 on 04/01/12. You seem to like dates that stand out.
7. Key: Don't post when Sandeep is around. That's like tying a piece of steak around your head and walking through a pride of lions.

On your good side, DO register during a time when I am not checking those users trying to register.

On your second post, please explain why you shouldn't be banned and how and others are wrong about your intentions. Please explain how you are recorded as a spammer.

I feel kinda dumb, but Dr. asked me to ask you guys...
Once you use Excel under the imported items can you continue to update it at all (for a coumadin flow sheet, for example?) or does it just stay static? I did an imported item with notepad and it remained static, so I'm curious as well. I realize this might not be the thread for that (and I asked something similar a year ago) so I am sorry if this causes an issue!

*Edit: Okay, now I just feel bad. You guys did kinda answer, I'm just not giving the thread my undivided attention. Does anyone use the tracked data items under the summary sheet? I love that it graphs...but we can't seem to tweak it for coumadin usage. Anyone have a work-around?

Yes, you can update and maintain a spreadsheet. I know that others use the summary sheet as you describe, but I feel like it is what Excel was designed for!

re: updating the spreadsheet: if it opens for you from the II tab you are good to go.
If you are opening from excel natively, make sure you open the one in the patients II folder: ..\ImportedItems\4895\coumadin.xls (if 4895 it the patient's AC #)

Thank you John! I appreciate that!

Thanks for the great ideas about the spreadsheet. We were wondering were to put all the past 6 years of surgeries into AC since there is not a specific area for this.
I imported a blank spreadsheet into a chart and cut and pasted the patient's surgery history from a grid view in our Access database. Took a few seconds. This even brings in the headings to the spreadsheet. Now we assign the spreadsheet to a category SURGERIES and we are good to go. Before we continue implementing this, is there any drawback to this process?

Some people just put a category of Past Surgical History - in the Past Medical History box, eg

Past Medical Hx
NIDDM
HTN
BPH

Past Surgical History -
Appendectomy
Cholecystectomy
Tubal Ligation

This makes the history all inclusive when you print an office note so that it looks like a full H&P. Just another option.

As a newbie, how can we enter this information ahead of time? Do we have to create an encounter first and how do we save without signing off?
Trying to figure out the most economical way of pre-entering the patient information so we just have to worry about the current encounter.

You would have to generate an encounter - this would count against you for MU as it would not have ht, wt, vitals. One way would be to take an old chart note and enter the information from a previous visit so you would have vitals, etc - just make sure you enter meds, allergies, demoographics and try to hit all the MU requirements.