[Fixed] There Was A Problem Sending The Command To The Program – MS Office Error

Do you struggle with “There Was A Problem Sending The Command To The Program” when using Microsoft Office programs like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.? 

This error is commonly faced by MS Office users and has been troubling users globally. But there is nothing to worry about. Here at Systweak blog, we will provide workable solutions to troubleshoot the problem. 

Why Does The Problem Sending Command to Program Error Occur

The error occurs for several reasons. The major among them are listed below: 

• When Windows attempts to send Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) commands to your Microsoft Office applications but fails to establish a connection with the program.
  
• Due to Add-Ins installed on your PC.
• Misconfigured settings, corrupted installed files, outdated software, or Antivirus interference.

The issue interferes with the workflow and productivity, which is quite frustrating. Luckily, there are steps you can take to resolve it, and we will discuss them in this post. 

Fixes To Resolve “There Was A Problem Sending The Command To The Program” Error

Fix 1: Do Not Run The Office App As An Administrator

Experts generally recommend running the app in elevated mode to fix errors. However, in this case, things are different. When you face the error in sending command to program, you need to disable the run as admin option instead of running the app as admin. To do so, follow these steps:  

Step 1: Press the Windows key and click on the icon of the app you are encountering this error with.
Step 2: Right-click on it and choose Open File Location. If you do not find this option, click Properties and get the file location.

Step 3: Look for the app’s executable file in the file location folder. Right-click on it to select Properties.

Step 4: A new box will appear. In it, click the Shortcut tab at the top and click the Advanced button.
Step 5: Now remove the check mark from the small square box in front of Run this program as administrator.
Step 6: Click on OK.

Fix 2: Turn Off Dynamic Data Exchange

Disabling the Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) feature worked for many users. Here’s what you need to do to disable it and fix the problem error.

Step 1: Launch the Microsoft Office App that generates the error.
Step 2: Click on the File tab at the top, and then click Options > Advanced > General.

Step 3: Locate the “Ignore other applications that use Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE)” and uncheck the box.

Step 4: Click on the OK button.

Fix 3: Turn Off Antivirus App

If you use Windows Security as your antivirus application, move to the next fix. However, if you are using any third-party antivirus software, we recommend you disable it temporarily and run the Office app generating this issue. If the error message does not appear, this means that the third-party application is conflicting with Microsoft Office apps. You can contact antivirus support or use a different antivirus application.

Fix 4: Repair Microsoft Office Apps

When the Microsoft Office-installed files are corrupted, you might face the “There was a problem sending the command to the program error.” Here are the steps to fix this issue and repair your Office files:

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the RUN box and type Control followed by Enter.
Step 2: The Control Panel window will now open, and you must click on Program and Features.
Step 3: Locate Microsoft Office among the list of installed programs and right-click on it.

Step 4: Choose the Change option to repair the Microsoft Office installation on your PC and adhere to the online instructions.
Step 5: Once the process is complete, reboot your PC and check. 

Fix 5: Disable Add-Ins

Microsoft allows enabling add-ins to introduce new features to the Office apps. However, some users have claimed that disabling these additional features helps fix the “There was a problem sending the command to the program” error. Let us try this out:

Step 1: Launch the Office app and click on the File tab on the top left corner.
Step 2: Click on Options and then click on Add-Ins.
Step 3: Locate Manage Options and click on it.
Step 4: Choose COM Add-ins and hit the Go button.
Step 5: Choose the add-ins individually and click the Delete button.
Step 6: Click on OK and relaunch the app.

Fix 6: Turn Off Hardware Acceleration

Most experts recommend enabling the Hardware Acceleration feature for enhanced performance. However, if you are receiving the this error message, disable it. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Launch the app and click on the File tab, followed by Options and Advanced.
Step 2: Scroll down and locate the Display option.
Step 3: Place a checkmark in the box before Disable hardware graphics acceleration option.
Step 4: Click on OK.

Fix 7: Makes Changes To The Windows Registry

Some experts recommend making changes in the Windows Registry to resolve this issue. Here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the RUN box, type regedit, and click the OK button.
Step 2: Copy and paste the following path in the address bar of the Registry Editor.

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.8\shell\Open

Step 3: Now right-click on the ddeexec folder and choose rename from the context menu.
Step 4: Rename the folder as OLD.

Step 5: Locate the Command key folder just above the ddeexec folder and click on it.
Step 6: In the right panel, double-click on the key named as Default.
Step 7: A small box will open where you erase the contents under the Value Data section and replace it with the following.

“C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\EXCEL.EXE” “%1”

Step 8: Click on the OK button.

Fix 8: Delete The Windows Compatibility Package

The Windows Compatibility Package and the leftover files from the previous Office installations also cause the issue. Try removing them and see if that resolves the issue. To remove any app installed on your PC, follow these steps:

Step 1: Press Win + S to open the Search box and type “Add Remove Programs.”
Step 2: Click on the relevant result under Best Match, and a new box will open with a list of installed apps on your system.
Step 3: Locate and click on Windows Compatibility Package.
Step 4: Click the Uninstall button and follow the onscreen instructions to remove the app.
Step 5: Restart your PC.

Fix 9: Reinstall Microsoft Office

If none of the above solutions resolve the issue, you may need to reinstall Microsoft Office. This can address certain program problems that are difficult to pinpoint.

Fix 10: Contact Microsoft

You can contact Microsoft Support online or visit a Microsoft Support center to have a professional assist you in resolving the issue.

Bonus Tip: Use Advanced Disk Recovery To Restore Your Lost Documents

If you think a few office files have gone missing due to the “There Was A Problem Sending The Command To The Program” error, you can retrieve them using Advanced Disk Recovery. This application can undo deleted and missing files of all formats from various types of storage. Here are the steps to use this application:

Step 1: Download and Install Advanced Disk Recovery using the download button below.

Step 2: Launch the software and choose the areas to be scanned.
Step 3: Click on the Start Scan Now Button.

Step 4: Choose the Deep scan option to recover files from the deepest sectors of your hard drive and click on Scan Now.

Step 5: A list of files that can be recovered will be displayed. Click on the check box next to the files you wish to recover and click on the Recover button.

Step 6: You will have to specify the location where you wish to save these recovered files and click on OK.
Step 7: Wait for some time, and you will have recovered all your important data.

No More “There Was A Problem Sending The Command To The Program.”

We hope the above solutions have helped resolve the error. We would like to know which method helped you fix the issue. Please write to us in the comments section below and share your experience.