Ignore dde requests from other applications. Error sending command to application

Not often, of course, but sometimes when opening office documents (XLS and XLSX formats), Excel failure messages appear on the screen - “an error occurred when sending a command to the application.” Why can’t the program open “native” files? This needs to be sorted out. It must be said that Word, Excel and Access are equally susceptible to such errors. So, some of the proposed solutions to correct the situation will be suitable for other applications.

What does an error in sending a command to Excel indicate?

According to reviews from many users on various computer forums, the problem was initially noticed when trying to open spreadsheet files that were attached to an incoming Outlook email message. However, it later turned out that even documents from the hard drive could not be opened. Why?

In any program, including Excel, it indicates that the program cannot be closed if:

• it is in an active state;
• the file itself is not recognized for some reason (for example, when using different versions of the office suite 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016) or different modifications of operating systems.

The email may contain a link to the file. The Excel error in this case appears when you try to directly open a document directly in a message without saving the attachment or original file on your computer's hard drive. This is the most common occurrence, although other situations may occur.

Basic methods for troubleshooting problems in office programs

As for fixing failures of this kind, when an error may even occur when starting Excel, you can find quite a lot of options here.

However, if we talk specifically about the problem of command direction, the most effective ways to eliminate the problem, if we are talking specifically about Excel, are considered to be the following:

• disable DDE ignoring (Excel only);
• deactivating compatibility mode;
• disabling hardware acceleration;
• reassigning the default program;
• restoration and re-installation of the entire office package.

Excel format: disable ignoring DDE queries

The first proposed solution, according to many, is one of the most effective. This eliminates not only the described failure, but also many other Excel errors.

The essence of the solution is to enter the program parameters through the file menu, select general settings and go to the general configuration. Here you just need to check the box next to the line to ignore DDE requests. What it is is not so important in this case. The main thing is that this technique almost always works. But this is 99% of cases. For the 1%, when this method does not produce results, you will have to use other methods, which, by the way, under certain conditions are no less effective.

Deactivating Compatibility Mode

It is no secret that in Windows operating systems, when installing different office packages or when using more recent versions of Office on outdated OSs, it is possible to run programs in compatibility mode (for example, with Windows XP).

To correct the situation, go to the “Office” directory, which is usually located in the Program Files (x86) directory. We find in it the executable EXE file of the main program, call the properties line through RMB and uncheck the start lines in compatibility mode and run as administrator, after which we reboot the system. This option is suitable for all office applications, including Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, etc.

Problems with hardware acceleration

Another technique is to deactivate the use of hardware acceleration. In this situation, in Excel, as well as in any other office program, you need to use the same menu of options with a choice of additional settings.

In the menu, simply find the line for using hardware acceleration and uncheck it. In addition to this solution, you can disable the use of add-ons.

To do this, you need to select the appropriate section in the options menu, go to COM add-ins and, again, uncheck the box to enable them.

Setting default programs

Perhaps the error when sending a command to Excel or any other application is due only to the fact that, by default, registered file extensions are simply not associated with the corresponding program to open them.

In this case, you need to call the standard “Control Panel”, select the default programs section and use the file or protocol association menu. In the list you just need to find the Excel format, select the program of the same name and use it. If it is missing, the path to the executable file will need to be specified manually.

Repairing and reinstalling Office

However, errors in Excel 2007 or any other version of the application are not limited to the situations described above.

When all else fails, you can use Office recovery tools. To do this, use the programs and components section, where you select the required application, click the change button on the panel at the top, after which the program recovery line is used in the menu that appears.

If this does not help, you will have to completely remove the entire package (for this it is better to use third-party uninstallers that allow you to scan the system for residual files, folders and system registry keys and completely remove them), and then install it again.

If the user has some kind of unofficial version of the installer, in which the product key is missing, you can register the software package using the small KMSAuto Net utility, although this is considered an illegal act. Nevertheless, this is a fairly acceptable solution for our users.

However, these steps may not be necessary. Perhaps the only problem is that the operating system has disabled automatic updating, which, in addition to software modules and security system components, also provides for the installation of updates for office products.

Alternatively, you can go to the “Update Center”, set a manual search with the installation of updates for other Microsoft software products enabled, and integrate everything that is found into the system.

What's the result?

Drawing conclusions from all of the above, it can be noted that in most cases the technique of disabling DDE requests helps. True, other options cannot be ruled out either. Situations related to the penetration of various types of viruses into the system, which are also sometimes capable of blocking the work or even the launch of office programs, were deliberately not considered here, since security issues should be a priority for any user. But in general, the main problem can be fixed quite simply, and sometimes even a regular system restore helps.

Many people have encountered a system refusal to open a book.xls. At the same time, opening from the menu works. Dragging a file icon from a folder to the active area also helps. But double-clicking on the workbook displays the message “An error occurred while sending the command to Excel.” Let's consider different actions to correct the situation.

Microsoft Excel: error when sending a command to an application - reasons

Let's list what the problem might be:

1. Failure or conflict in add-ons. Modules may conflict or have errors in the code.
2. Clicking on a file when Excel is in the process of executing a task (usually in the background, unnoticed). When loading, it tries to solve the problems, and then a request appears to open the table. An error is generated.
3. Problems in the Microsoft Office package.

An error when sending a command to the Excel application can occur in versions 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016. Let's look at various solutions.

Disable dynamic data exchange

This is the most popular treatment method. Go to the "File" menu.

And click on options.

In the "Advanced" section, look for an item that will allow you to ignore DDE.


Check the box and click OK. Try opening any Excel workbook. Did not help? Let's move on.

Recovering User Experience Virtualization (UE-V)

A hotfix package has been released specifically to correct this command routing error. If you have disabled updates, you will have to install it manually. You can download it.

Follow the link above and accept the user agreement.


Click the checkbox and enter your email address.


The download link will be sent to the specified address.


Select it and paste it into the address bar of your browser. The download will start automatically.

Click on the shortcut and the installation will begin. Go through it step by step and restart your computer. Try double-clicking on the document again to open it. Are you seeing the “Error sending command to Excel” message again? So we're trying to fix the add-ons.

Disabling unnecessary libraries

Go to File – Options and click on add-ons.


There is a dropdown menu item at the bottom. This is where "COM Add-ins" is needed. Click and go to them.


Uncheck all the boxes and launch Excel.


If this helped eliminate the error when sending commands to the application, then tick one box at a time. This way you will find the add-on that is the source of the message.
If this does not help resolve the error when sending a command to the application, then you need to disable compatibility.

Changing launch modes

Open the folder where Excel is located. To do this, click on start and find the program shortcut. Right-click on it (RMB) and select “Advanced” - “Go to file location”.

In the folder that opens, right-click on the program icon and select “Properties”.


In the “Compatibility” section, uncheck the “Run as administrator” and “Run in compatibility mode” checkboxes.

Another reason for the problem of sending a command to an application may be that the file mappings to the executable program are broken.

Setting up comparisons

Use the search to find the control panel.

Go to programs.


And select default programs.


Go to comparison.


Find the section with .xls files.


Install an executable for this type. To do this, click “Change program” and select the appropriate application.


If the system does not detect the file, click the "Other applications" link and search for it in the system.
Install the program similarly for other extensions.
If an error continues to appear when sending a command to Excel, you need to optimize the loading of pictures.

Disabling hardware acceleration

Go to “File” - “Options” - “Advanced” and in the “Display” section, check the box to disable hardware acceleration.


If none of the above steps helped resolve the error when sending a command to Excel, then install Windows updates. This is done in the system settings (Start button and gear), in the Windows Control Center section.


Click the Check for active updates button.


Don't forget to restart your computer after installing updates.

If Office is the cause of the problem, you can restore it. To do this, right-click on the main menu button and select “Applications and Features”.

Find the Office package you have installed and click on it.


When you select a change, you will be given a choice of recovery methods.


First, choose the quick option, and if it doesn’t help, then restore over the network. In any case, you should click the “Restore” button.

If even after this the error sending commands to the application continues to bother you, you should reinstall Microsoft Office. This is an extreme measure, and we hope that it won’t come to this for you.

Have a great day!

It is no secret that the office suites produced by Microsoft, despite all the advantages in terms of processing documents of any type, also have a number of disadvantages. In particular, this concerns the occurrence of an error when sending a command to an application. Excel 2007 or a newer version is most susceptible to this crash. However, the Word text editor is not immune to this kind of failure. But, since in this case we are interested in the table editor, we will consider troubleshooting using its example. Several options can be offered, and they all differ from each other.

Excel: Error sending command to application. What is the reason for the failure?

First, a few words about the root causes. Why does an error appear when sending a command to an application in Excel 2010, as well as in all other modifications of this software product? Haven't the Office developers themselves thought about fixing such a bug? But when working with Access databases, this situation is almost never observed, not to mention the other major software products that are included in standard office suites. But let's look at all the possible solutions, moving from simple and most applicable methods to drastic ways to fix problems if all else fails.

The main problem is that the error when sending a command to an application in Excel 2013 or versions of other modifications of the package appeared only after changing the standard format of files opened by default from XLS to XLSX, which also applies to Word (DOC/DOCX). The program simply does not correctly perceive the file being opened. And this applies even to those cases when a file created in a newer version of the editor is opened, even if the converter is installed (for example, to open files in Office 2003). The main reason why an error appears when sending a command to an application in Excel 2013 is not even in the programs themselves, but in the operating systems, which, as it turns out, when outdated, do not support the full operation of office applets of the newest modifications (although they should). Thus, the solution is obvious: it is necessary to use the launch of the latest versions of programs in compatibility mode with older systems. In Windows, the simplest solution is used for this.

Excel error when sending a command to the application: how to fix the failure in the simplest way?

First, go to the Program Files directory using any file manager, find the “Office” folder in the directory tree and go to the directory in which the Excel components are located. Here you need to select the executable EXE file of the program and use the RMB menu to go to the object properties.

After this, on the compatibility tab, you should select the operating system to which this application can be associated, and check the Run as administrator option, then save the changes and try to open the required file again. If for some reason it is impossible to change these settings, you must log in as an administrator.

In some cases, lowering the control level of UAC registrations will help, where in the settings the level fader must be moved to the lowest position. To avoid searching for these options for a long time, simply enter the search query in the search field of the main Start menu.

Setting to ignore DDE requests

Another point related to the error when sending a command to an application in Excel 2016, for example, may be due to the fact that the main program, when opening the desired object, can contact third-party editors, executing so-called DDE queries. They need to be disabled (ignored).

Since we are talking specifically about an error when sending a command to an application in Excel, we will consider setting up this particular application. To troubleshoot problems, you need to use the “Office” button or the main settings, then go to the parameters and in the additional settings section disable the corresponding requests.

Note: a similar section in the 2003 version of the program is located on the “General” tab, which, in fact, does not change the solution to the problem.

Editing the system registry

If this approach does not work, and the error when sending a command to an application in Excel appears again, you can take some additional steps, which, however, will have to be performed at your own peril and risk.

First, call the system registry editor using the regedit combination entered in the Run console, then through the HKCU branch go to the CurrentVersion section and delete absolutely all the directories that are there, and then completely reboot the system.

Is it all the TuneUp app's fault?

But it also happens that an error when sending a command to an application in Excel has no direct relation to the program itself. If the user has TuneUp installed, it can create its own locks.

In this case, you need to use the settings and go to the Optimize section, click the Disable Programs button and exclude all MS Office components from the list (sometimes you may need to disable hardware acceleration).

The most radical method

If this doesn’t help, download the latest Office installer from the Microsoft website, and then install the entire package manually, after removing the previous modification.

If you have problems with registration, use the portable utility KMSAuto Net, which, by the way, is capable of activating Windows systems of any version. But in most cases, it doesn’t come to the point of using such methods. In addition, it is unlikely that the average user will use a Microsoft account to register office products, install updates for them that are disabled by default, or join groups like the Microsoft Community, which mainly includes only software developers and others who work testing it in practice.

Instead of an afterword

In general, problems associated specifically with Excel can be eliminated using the methods proposed above. In principle, they can also be used to correct errors in Word, but disabling DDE requests does not work here. However, installing a certain compatibility mode, deleting system registry folders, or even re-installing can give results.

Please note that now you do not need to install the full package, but you can limit yourself to only a selective installation of the same Excel or Word. This is correct. Why reinstall a program that doesn’t experience such glitches in the first place? But here it is worth paying attention to the fact that the existing version of the office suite may be incompatible with the one being installed, and after installation, some programs may stop working. Be careful when loading the distribution and take into account not only the version of Office, but also the bitness (architecture) of the operating system installed on your computer or laptop.

Despite the fact that, in general, Microsoft Excel has a fairly high level of stability, problems sometimes occur with this application. One of these problems is the message “An error occurred while sending a command to the application.” It occurs when you try to save or open a file, as well as perform some other actions with it. Let's figure out what causes this problem and how it can be fixed.

What are the main reasons that cause this error? The following can be distinguished:

• Damage to the superstructure;
• An attempt to access active application data;
• Errors in the system registry;
• Damage to Excel.

Solution

How to resolve this error depends on its cause. But, since in most cases it is more difficult to establish the cause than to eliminate it, a more rational solution is to try and find the right course of action from the options presented below.

Method 1: Disable DDE Ignoring

Most often, you can resolve an error when sending a command by disabling DDE ignoring.

After this, in a significant number of cases, the problem is eliminated.

Method 2: Disable Compatibility Mode

Another likely cause of the problem described above may be that compatibility mode is enabled. In order to disable it, you need to follow the steps below sequentially.

If the appropriate boxes are not checked, then we continue to look for the source of the problem elsewhere.

Method 3: Cleaning the Registry

One of the reasons that can cause an error when sending a command to an application in Excel is problems in the registry. Therefore, we will need to clean it. Before proceeding with further actions, in order to insure yourself against possible undesirable consequences of this procedure, we strongly recommend creating a system restore point.

Method 4: Disable hardware acceleration

A temporary solution to the problem may be to disable hardware acceleration in Excel.

1. Let's move on to the section already familiar to us from the first method of solving the problem. "Options" in the tab "File". Click on the item again "Additionally".
2. In the window of additional Excel parameters that opens, look for the settings block "Screen". Check the box next to the parameter "Disable hardware image acceleration". Click on the button "OK".

Method 5: Disable add-ons

As mentioned above, one of the reasons for this problem may be a malfunction of some add-on. Therefore, as a temporary measure, you can use disabling Excel add-ins.

If, after turning off all add-ons, the problem remains, this means that the add-ons can be enabled, and the error should be resolved in another way.

Method 6: Reset File Associations

To resolve the issue, you can also try resetting the file associations.

Last but not least, the lack of important Windows updates may be to blame for the appearance of this error in Excel. You need to check whether all available updates are downloaded and, if necessary, download the missing ones.

If none of the methods listed above helped solve the problem, then perhaps it makes sense to think about reinstalling the Microsoft Office software package, or even reinstalling the Windows operating system as a whole.

As you can see, there are quite a few possible options for eliminating errors when sending a command in Excel. But, as a rule, in each specific case there is only one correct solution. Therefore, in order to eliminate this problem, you will have to use various methods of eliminating the error by trial and error until the only correct option is found.

Users of different versions of the MS Word office editor sometimes encounter a certain problem in its operation. This is an error with the following content: "error sending command to application". The reason for its occurrence, in most cases, turns out to be software designed to improve the operating system.

It is not difficult to fix an error when sending a command to MS Word, and below we will tell you how to do it.

The first thing to do when such an error occurs is to change the compatibility settings of the executable file "WINWORD". Read below for information on how to do this.

1. Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the following path:

C:\Program Files(in 32-bit OS this is the Program Files (x86) folder)\Microsoft Office\OFFICE16

Note: The name of the last folder (OFFICE16) corresponds to Microsoft Office 2016, for Word 2010 this folder will be called OFFICE14, Word 2007 - OFFICE12, in MS Word 2003 - OFFICE11.

2. In the directory that opens, right-click on the file WINWORD.EXE and select "Properties".

3. In the tab "Compatibility" opened window "Properties" uncheck the box next to the parameter "Run the program in compatibility mode" In chapter "Compatibility Mode". You also need to uncheck the box next to the parameter "Run this program as an administrator"(chapter "Privilege Level").

4. Click "OK" to close the window.

Creating a restore point

At the next stage, you and I will need to make changes to the system registry, but before we begin, for security purposes we need to create a restore point (backup) of the OS. This will help prevent the consequences of possible failures.

1. Launch "Control Panel".

Advice: Depending on the version of Windows you are using, you can open the Control Panel through the start menu "Start"(Windows 7 and older OS versions) or using the keys "WIN+X", where in the menu that opens you should select "Control Panel".

2. In the window that appears, in the section "System and safety" select item "Archiving and recovery".

3. If you have not previously created system backups, select the partition "Set up backup", then simply follow the step-by-step installation wizard.

If you have previously created a backup copy, select "Create a backup". Then follow the instructions.

Having created a backup copy of the system, we can safely move on to the next stage of eliminating the error in Word.

Cleaning the system registry

Now we have to launch the registry editor and perform a number of simple manipulations.

1. Press the keys "WIN+R" and enter in the search bar "regedit" without quotes. To launch the editor, click "OK" or "ENTER".

2. Go to the next section:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion

Delete all folders contained in the directory "CurrentVersion".

3. After you restart your PC, the error when sending a command to the program will no longer bother you.

Now you know how to fix one of the possible errors in MS Word. We wish you no longer encounter such troubles with this text editor.