Thanks Jay! I had thought about hijacking the FileOpen dialog box and
putting this condition in there, but I thought there had to be a way of just
turning the conversion feature off. I'll give this a try. As for firing
them, if only I had that power!!! Anyone can click on the wrong file and
accidently open it in the wrong application, but to save something that looks
like a complete disaster - it's beyond my understanding!

Thanks again!

"Jay Freedman" wrote:

Hi Granny,

Put this macro into a template (http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm)
and store the template in the Startup location for Word on the user's
machine (see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...latesStore.htm).

Sub AutoOpen()
If Right$(ActiveDocument.FullName, 4) = ".xls" Then
ActiveDocument.Close SaveChanges:=wdDoNotSaveChanges
MsgBox "Stop trying to open spreadsheets in Word!"
End If
End Sub

Each time they try to open a .xls file in Word, after they plow their way
through the conversion dialogs, the spreadsheet will open for about a
quarter of a second and immediately close, followed by the nastygram. If
they complain about it, fire them. ;-)

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

GrannyM wrote:
Sorry, I'm not wanting a way to work with an inserted spreadsheet, I
just want to block them from using Word to open an existing
spreadsheet. We have over 200 users and there a few that keep
destroying spreadsheets because the light hasn't clicked on that you
open a spreadsheet in excel and a document in word.

"Shauna Kelly" wrote:

Hi GrannyM

One way around this may be to paste the Excel into Word as a
picture. Copy the range in Excel, then in Word do Edit Paste
Special and choose to paste as an Enhanced Metafile picture. You can
still link this to the original Excel file if you need to. But it is
a picture, and can't be opened as an Excel spreadsheet.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word


"GrannyM" wrote in message
...
We have several users that keep opening an excel spreadsheet in
word, and even tho word pops up a box telling them its a
spreadsheet, they still go ahead and open it and instead of just
closing it, they save it, destroying the spreadsheet. Is there a
way to not allow them to open an excel spreadsheet in word?

We are currently using Office 97, and we are getting ready to
update to Office 2003, so help with either version would be
appreciated.

Thanks