OFF: .Exd Files Are Created When You Insert Controls

When you run any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, the program creates the following new folders in the Windows\Temp folder, or in some other folder on your computer:

Excel8.0
Ppt8.0
Word8.0
Vbe

For Office 2000, the following new folders are created:

Excel9.0
Ppt9.0
Word9.0
Vbe

NOTE: These folders contain files with the .exd extension.

This article explains why these folders and files are created, and what happen if you delete them.

The programs listed at the beginning of this article create the folders when you use the Control Toolbox to insert an ActiveX control in a document. The programs also create the folders when you insert any type of control in a custom UserForm. The following table lists which folders are created when you insert an ActiveX control or another control:



Normally, the programs create these folders in the Windows\Temp folder. However, if the Windows\Temp folder does not exist, the files may be created elsewhere on your computer.

The first time you insert a control into a document or UserForm, the program in which you inserted the control creates an .exd file for that control in the appropriate folder. After program creates the .exd file for a specific control, it takes less time to insert the same control again. This is because the .exd file caches information for the control.

The program that creates the .exd files does not delete them when you quit the program. The next time you start the same program and insert the same control, the .exd files are still available for the program to use.

If you delete any of the folders listed above, or any of the .exd files they contain, you do not receive any error messages, and no problems occur. However, you may notice a slight decrease in performance the first time you insert a control because the .exd file for that control does not exist. After the program recreates the .exd file, you can reinsert the control with improved performance.