Several posts about this and still no resolution. I'm having the same problem.

Only Add On is 'send to bluetooth' Won't allow me to delete unless in Admin mode. I'm the Admin? Any other ideas? Latest Serv Pack installed too.

Other posts and ideas did not work either.

In Office 2010 Excel, when opening a saved document I cannot click on anything except for the minimize, restore, and exit buttons at the top right. I can not click on these buttons within the document, only for the program container. When I click on the X the first time it closes the document, but I can still only click on those three buttons. The ribbon and all other buttons are frozen. They do not appear different than normal, but they do not work. I can get around this problem by opening Excel then opening the file, but if I open a saved file directly the ribbon and toolbars are locked. I tried saving a new file, and when I opened it I had the same problem. I can enter data and save the file using Ctrl+S. I have seen the post about removing the .xlb file, but I cannot find this file in Office 2010 installed on Windows 7. I have tried repairing the installation via Programs and Features, right-click, chance, repair, as well as a few of the suggested fixes for general Excel startup issues from Microsoft.

Here is the related thread. Not sure if they were having the exact problem I am, but the answer chosen by mods wasn't helpful for him either...
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/excel/thread/30a05bf3-7770-4351-a351-955b70ef0f42

Hi,

Have you already tryed to fix the Excel settings on the Windows Registry?

Close all Excel Workbooks, and

Press "Windows" + "R" keys and type "regedit"

Open: HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Office, 14.0, and right click the Excel hive and rename it to Excel.old.

Close regedit and try to see if EXCEL is fixed.

Hope it helps

Renatoabc

• Edited by renatoabc Sunday, November 06, 2011 10:04 AM
• Marked as answer by William Zhou CHNModerator Tuesday, November 15, 2011 1:49 AM

Hi,

Have you already tryed to fix the Excel settings on the Windows Registry?

Close all Excel Workbooks, and

Press "Windows" + "R" keys and type "regedit"

Open: HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Office, 14.0, and right click the Excel hive and rename it to Excel.old.

Close regedit and try to see if EXCEL is fixed.

Hope it helps

Renatoabc

• Edited by renatoabc Sunday, November 06, 2011 10:04 AM
• Marked as answer by William Zhou CHNModerator Tuesday, November 15, 2011 1:49 AM

Solution to Frozen Ribbon Problem (When opening files directly from Windows Explorer):  

Since I frequently work in about 6 different network drives, I used to have 5 or 6 windows explorer
windows open at any given time (before upgrading to Excel 2010), so I could very quickly open files from any of them in seconds without having to select a drive every time and manually click
through several subfolders (which has slowed me down considerably ever since we
upgraded to Office 2010 / translation: reduced productivity / so I've been
getting 20-30 minutes less work accomplished daily ever since). I just realized
now, that I can preview a file in Windows explorer and copy text from it as you
mentioned, OR open a file from Windows explorer (like I used to do from
multiple drives)... <o:p></o:p>

And IF the Windows explorer
Preview Pane is showing File "A", I can save and otherwise use the
Ribbon in file "A", but NOT in file "B" (frozen in all
OTHER files). However, if I go back to Windows Explorer and close the preview
pane (How?: by making sure no file is selected), then the Ribbon seems to work
in ALL my open files. I will continue to experiment with this, but it appears I
should be able to return to my previously MORE productive ways again by opening
multiple Explorer windows, AS LONG AS every time I use it to open an (Excel)
file, I flip back to the Windows Explorer pane and "close" the
preview Pane by "unselecting" the file just opened.<o:p></o:p>

There is also a square icon in
the upper right corner of Windows Explorer that will allow you to "Hide
Preview Pane". After a quick test, this appears to Solve the Problem
(effectively closing the Preview pane for current window AND when I open
additional Windows Explorer panes for other network drives/subfolders) and
allows me to use the Ribbon in ALL the files I have open (in Excel). Hopefully,
this will continue to work as it has been today (so far so good). Try this and
see if it works for you.<o:p></o:p>

• Proposed as answer by XLGuruJD Friday, March 08, 2013 3:19 AM

Solution to Frozen Ribbon Problem (When opening files directly from Windows Explorer):  

Since I frequently work in about 6 different network drives, I used to have 5 or 6 windows explorer
windows open at any given time (before upgrading to Excel 2010), so I could very quickly open files from any of them in seconds without having to select a drive every time and manually click
through several subfolders (which has slowed me down considerably ever since we
upgraded to Office 2010 / translation: reduced productivity / so I've been
getting 20-30 minutes less work accomplished daily ever since). I just realized
now, that I can preview a file in Windows explorer and copy text from it as you
mentioned, OR open a file from Windows explorer (like I used to do from
multiple drives)... <o:p></o:p>

And IF the Windows explorer
Preview Pane is showing File "A", I can save and otherwise use the
Ribbon in file "A", but NOT in file "B" (frozen in all
OTHER files). However, if I go back to Windows Explorer and close the preview
pane (How?: by making sure no file is selected), then the Ribbon seems to work
in ALL my open files. I will continue to experiment with this, but it appears I
should be able to return to my previously MORE productive ways again by opening
multiple Explorer windows, AS LONG AS every time I use it to open an (Excel)
file, I flip back to the Windows Explorer pane and "close" the
preview Pane by "unselecting" the file just opened.<o:p></o:p>

There is also a square icon in
the upper right corner of Windows Explorer that will allow you to "Hide
Preview Pane". After a quick test, this appears to Solve the Problem
(effectively closing the Preview pane for current window AND when I open
additional Windows Explorer panes for other network drives/subfolders) and
allows me to use the Ribbon in ALL the files I have open (in Excel). Hopefully,
this will continue to work as it has been today (so far so good). Try this and
see if it works for you.<o:p></o:p>

• Proposed as answer by XLGuruJD Friday, March 08, 2013 3:19 AM

I just had this happen on a coworkers PC.

Closing the preview pane and having her open files from within excel instead of windows explorer seems to have fixed the issue.

I have never had this problem on my PC, so I set out to force it to happen. After opening and closing a few files (from windows explorer with the preview pane open) I managed to lock up the ribbon. This was fixed by simply closing the preview pane.

• Edited by smocough Wednesday, March 13, 2013 4:56 PM

I just had this happen on a coworkers PC.

Closing the preview pane and having her open files from within excel instead of windows explorer seems to have fixed the issue.

I have never had this problem on my PC, so I set out to force it to happen. After opening and closing a few files (from windows explorer with the preview pane open) I managed to lock up the ribbon. This was fixed by simply closing the preview pane.

• Edited by smocough Wednesday, March 13, 2013 4:56 PM

Hello Excel gurus.  I am having a very similar issue with Excel 2010 and have been parsing through a number of posts just like this one with no resolution.  I've tried a number of suggestions to no avail.

Here is what is happening.

When a file is opened directly from Windows Explorer the Excel Ribbon is inoperable.  I can navigate using the Alt+* shortcut keys but cannot navigate with the mouse.  Also I cannot move the Excel window.  I can maximize and minimize and resize, just not relocate (move) the Excel Window.

When I open Excel first, and open a file from Excel, everything works fine.  I have tried the disabling of the Preview Pane and that does not correct the problem I am seeing.  I have tried renaming the registry folder as Renatoabc has suggested, no go.  

I have read that the repair process does not work, yet I have not tried that, as of yet.

Any other insight and/or suggestions are certainly appreciated.

Hello Excel gurus.  I am having a very similar issue with Excel 2010 and have been parsing through a number of posts just like this one with no resolution.  I've tried a number of suggestions to no avail.

Here is what is happening.

When a file is opened directly from Windows Explorer the Excel Ribbon is inoperable.  I can navigate using the Alt+* shortcut keys but cannot navigate with the mouse.  Also I cannot move the Excel window.  I can maximize and minimize and resize, just not relocate (move) the Excel Window.

When I open Excel first, and open a file from Excel, everything works fine.  I have tried the disabling of the Preview Pane and that does not correct the problem I am seeing.  I have tried renaming the registry folder as Renatoabc has suggested, no go.  

I have read that the repair process does not work, yet I have not tried that, as of yet.

Any other insight and/or suggestions are certainly appreciated.

This is exactly what I am finding today.  I have tried the repair process, I have tried the registry changes, and as you said, the only way to have it work right is open excel then open your file from its menu.  This wasn't like this a few days ago for me but is now.  3-4-15

I've noticed that the ribbon is locked/frozen when I have another spreadsheet highlighted in file manager and preview mode is on.  As soon as I move to a non-excel file or close my windows explorer window the ribbon becomes immediately accessible.

This is exactly what I am finding today.  I have tried the repair process, I have tried the registry changes, and as you said, the only way to have it work right is open excel then open your file from its menu.  This wasn't like this a few days ago for me but is now.  3-4-15

This seems to work for me.  Excel 2013, ribbon locked:  Open Excel by itself and then open a file from within Excel.  Ribbon starts working again and I can open/close files normally thereafter, even from Windows Explorer.