How to Troubleshoot ‘Problem sending the command to the program’ on Windows 10



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Typically, Windows users get the error message “There was a problem sending a command to an excel program“. So you’re not alone. Windows usually sends commands to MS Office via dynamic data exchange. However, if Windows can’t connect to Microsoft Excel, this annoying error occurs.

If you click OK, the problem is resolved. However, when you restart your computer, the error appears again. If the error occurs every time you open a file, you need to fix the problem.

What causes the “problem sending a command to the program” error?

When Windows sends DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) commands to Microsoft Office applications, but the operating system cannot connect to the application, an error occurs: there is a problem sending a command to the program.

  • Autocad error.
  • Microsoft Office error
  • Microsoft Excel file error
  • Problem with Windows PC
  • Problem with Internet Explorer
  • Microsoft Word file error problem

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Disabling the “Run as administrator”

  1. Go to the Start menu and enter the name of the program that caused the problem.
  2. Right-click on the program and select Open File Location.
  3. Now right-click the program again and select Properties.
  4. Click the Compatibility tab and uncheck the “Run this program as an administrator” box.
  5. Click Apply and then OK to save your changes.
  6. Restart your computer and try running the program again to see if the problem can be resolved.

Restoring Microsoft Office

  1. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.CPL and press Enter to open Programs and Features.
  2. Now find Microsoft Office in the list, right-click it and select Edit.
  3. Select the Restore option, and then click Continue.
  4. Once the restore is complete, restart your computer to save your changes.

Disable hardware acceleration

  1. Launch any Office program, then click Office ORB or the File tab and select Options.
  2. Select Advanced from the left-hand menu and scroll down to the Display section.
  3. Under Display, uncheck Disable Hardware Accelerated Graphics.
  4. Select OK and restart your computer to save your changes.

Temporarily disable the antivirus software

  1. Right-click the antivirus software icon in the taskbar and select Disable.
  2. Then select the period of time you want the antivirus software to remain disabled.
  3. Select the lowest possible period, such as 15 minutes or 30 minutes.
  4. Then try opening Microsoft Excel again and see if the error is fixed or not.

Disable Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)

  1. Open Microsoft Excel and click on Office ORB (or the FILE menu) and then on Excel Options.
  2. Now select Advanced from the left-hand Excel Options menu.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom General section and uncheck “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)”.
  4. Click Ok to save your changes and restart your computer.



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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Disable dynamic data exchange.
  2. Disable the "Run as administrator" option.
  3. Repair bureau.
  4. Disable antivirus software.
  5. Disable add-ons.
  6. Disable hardware acceleration.
  7. Reconcile similar registry keys.
  8. Remove the Windows compatibility package.

The message "There was a problem sending a command to a program" usually means that it was unable to connect to MS Office applications (for example, Excel, Word or Access database, etc.) when sending them DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange) commands.

In safe mode, you can start Excel without encountering any special startup programs. You can open Excel in safe mode by holding the Ctrl key when starting the program or by using the /safe switch (excel.exe /safe) when starting the program from the command line.

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