Microsoft Excel has stopped working

Question

Whenever I use the arrow key to scroll down, Excel stops working:

And I get this:

Answer 1

To quickly rule out problems with excel itself, type in run dialog (Winkey + R) - excel /a. This starts excel for COM and means no customisation of excel. Does your error occur now.

Get the error details. In settings search for View Problem Details. Right click your error and choose View Technical Details. Post those here.

It will look something like this.

Description
A problem caused this program to stop interacting with Windows.
Faulting Application Path:  C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

Problem signature
Problem Event Name: AppHangXProcB1
Application Name:   iexplore.exe
Application Version:    11.0.10240.16412
Application Timestamp:  55b99d3f
Hang Signature: d229
Hang Type:  134742048
Waiting on Application Name:    iexplore.exe
Waiting on Application Version: 11.0.10240.16412
OS Version: 10.0.10240.2.0.0.768.101
Locale ID:  3081
Additional Hang Signature 1:    d2293b30a82e02c1d065885655e2fc11
Additional Hang Signature 2:    e68d
Additional Hang Signature 3:    e68d7530cc359e253127575d50ba30e2
Additional Hang Signature 4:    d229
Additional Hang Signature 5:    d2293b30a82e02c1d065885655e2fc11
Additional Hang Signature 6:    e68d
Additional Hang Signature 7:    e68d7530cc359e253127575d50ba30e2

Decoding Errors

-2147220978 style numbers are 32 bit signed integers, convert to hex = with calculator.

Windows errors (smallish numbers) and COM HResults (typically, but with = exceptions, start with an 8 as in 0x80040154) are defined in WinError.h, = except 8007nnnn where you look up the Window error number that it = contains.

As a general rule Windows errors are less than 65,535 (0xFFFF). Errors = starting 0x80000001 are Component Object Model (COM) HResults. Errors = starting 0xC0000001 are NTStatus results. Errors starting 0xD0000001 are = also NTStatus values returned in a HResult.

NTStatus errors (typically but not always start with an C as in = 0xC0000022) are defined in NTStatus.h.=20

.h files are the best source because it includes the symbolic name of = the error which can give clues such as the source of the error. = FormatMessage doesn't give the symbolic name only the description.

You get these files by downloading the Platform SDK (it's gigabytes) http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx%3Fid%3D8279&sa=3DU&e= i=3Dw2IrULDDLsHFmAWbmIHoBg&ved=3D0CBwQFjAA&usg=3DAFQjCNHZn9-4f2NnuN9o3UWU= sOF3wL7HBQ

If you just want the two files I have them on my skydrive so I can = reference them anywhere I go. https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=3DE2F0CE17A268A4FA!121

Note internet errors (12,000 - 12,999) are windows errors but are = specified in wininet.h also available above.=20

There are errors defined in other .h files. But 99% are in the three = above.

Structure of HResults and NTStatus Codes

The most significant bit in HResults, and the two most significant bits = in NTStatus are set on error. Hence Hresults start 8 on error and = NTStatus starts C on Error. The next 14 or 15 bits are reserved and some = specify the facility - what area the error is in. This is the third and = fourth number when reading hex. EG 0xnn07nnnn - An HResult facility code = 7 is a normal Windows' error (returned from a COM program - hence it's = returned as a HResult). Facility codes are defined in Winerror.h for = HResults and NTStatus.h for NTStatus codes. They are different.

To Decode 0x8003nnnn Errors

HResults with facility code 3 means the HResult contains OLE Structured = Storage errors (0x0 to 0xff). These are the same as Dos error codes. = These don't seem to be in Windows' header files and the list of codes is = at the end of this post.

To Decode 0x8004nnnn Errors

HResults with facility code 4 means the HResult contains OLE errors (0x0 = to 0x1ff) while the rest of the range (0x200 onwards) is component = specific errors so 20e from one component will have a different meaning = to 20e from another component.

This is why the source of the error is extra important for errors above = 0x80040200.

To Decode 0x8007nnnn Errors

HResults with facility code 7 means the HResult contains a Windows' = error code. You have to look up the Windows' error code not the HResult.

To decode 0x80070002. The 0x means it's a hexadecimal number, the 8 = means error, the first 7 means it a windows error, and the rest of the = number, 2, is the actual Windows error.

To look up the error we need it in decimal format. Start Calculator = (Start - All Programs - Accessories - Calculator) and choose View menu - = Scientific, then View menu - Hex. Enter 2. Then View menu - Decimal. It = will say 2.

Start a Command Prompt (Start - All Programs - Accessories - Command = Prompt) and type

net helpmsg 2

and it will say

The system cannot find the file specified.

or look it up in winerror.h

  //
  // MessageId: ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND
  //
  // MessageText:
  //
  // The system cannot find the file specified.
  //
  #define ERROR_FILE_NOT_FOUND             2L

To Decode 0x8019nnnn Errors

HResults with facility 0x19 are HTTP errors. Codes under 16,384 (0x4000) = are the same as HTTP errors, eg HTTP status 404: The requested URL does = not exist on the server is 0x80190194 (0x194 =3D 404). Codes 16,384 and = higher are BITS specific.

To Decode 0xDnnnnnnn Errors

HResults starting 0xD are an HResult with a NTStatus value in it. Just = cange the lead D to a C and treat as an NTStatus (Hresult =3D NTStatus = OR 10000000).