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"Excel could not start the e-mail program" error message when you use the Send To command in Excel

Article ID: 828509 - View products that this article applies to.

SYMPTOMS

When you use the Send To command in Microsoft Excel, you may receive an error message that is similar to the following:

Excel could not start the e-mail program.

Check your network connection. Make sure Office is installed correctly, you e-mail program is set up correctly, and you can connect to your e-mail server.

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CAUSE

This behavior occurs if all the following conditions are true:

Microsoft Office Excel 2003 is your Excel version.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 is your mail client.
Any version (including trial versions) of Office 2007 was previously or is still installed on this computer and one or both of the following are still listed under Add/Remove Programs:
- Microsoft Office 2007
- Microsoft Office 2007 Primary Interop
You try to send the workbook as the body of the message to the recipient.

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WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, use any one of the following methods:

Send the workbook as an attachment from Excel 2002.
Save the workbook in Excel 2002, and then add the workbook file as an attachment to a message from Outlook 2003.
Open the workbook in Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and then send it to the recipient as the body of the message.
Uninstall both of the following from Add and Remove Programs:
- Microsoft Office 2007
- Microsoft Office 2007 Primary Interop

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