"Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE action" | VDRPro

Applies to: Everyone
 

Issue

I'm trying to open IRM-protected Excel files but get the following error:

Microsoft Excel is waiting for another application to complete an OLE action

Cause

Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) is a feature that allows Office applications to interact with other applications. Common reasons for the error:

• Corrupted add-ons
• Excel opening a file that was created in another application or obtaining data from an active source

Solution

Disabling Excel's Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) feature may prevent the OLE error from occurring.

1. Open the Excel sheet.
2. Click the File menu > Options.
3. In the Excel Options box, click the Advanced tab and scroll down to the General section.
4. Check Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE).
5. Click OK. 
6. Restart Excel.