I've run into what appears to be a documented bug using Excel 2010 (Windows 7) when using the SAP Business Explorer Add-In but I haven't found any other discussion in SCN related to this via various searches. The bug, according to MS tech net (*), affects any Office 2010 or 2013 application that has a third party Add-In installed, where when you proceed to 'save as' the file, the associated dialog box pops UNDER the application window and appears to freeze the application when it is just waiting for input. As there are no ways to move the application window or switch to the dialog box you need to kill the application via task manager (warning messages appear indicating Excel is waiting for input) and restart. Another apparent symptom of the bug is that it seems to let you do the action once and only then starts hiding the dialog box underneath the main window in subsequent attempts. Using dual monitors with Excel only visible on the secondary monitor, you can physically see a dialog box pop-up on the main screen and fly off behind the Excel window on the secondary screen. Microsoft says it is is a 3rd party add-in issue and other developers say it is Microsoft (which I believe because there are many different affected add-ins and dialog handling/placement I think is probably in the operating system code). As a result this bug has now also made its way into the Office 2013 version as well.
In my case, the add-in (Business Explorer) is launched by the SAP Business Warehouse report with output appearing in Excel, I modify the local query layout and then the 'save as' function is an SAP BEx 'Save as new workbook …' (diskette icon under Excel Add-In tab).
One suggested work-around, minimizing the screen and putting it in the corner, worked for me only once (the first time). The next time, I assume, the dialog box hid back under the tiny Excel window with the same freezing symptoms. Other work-around were suggested by other users who perhaps hadn’t experienced the problems and which don’t work (Alt-spacebar, Esc, looking under other active windows, … ). The report run time is significant and it is a real pain.
There is a second possible work-around suggested which involves a modification to the registry file to help with window focus:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\ForegroundLockTimeOut
change this to 0 and log off/log in to activate it.
Has anyone else run into this issue and has the registry route worked for you?
Is there anything SAP can do to rectify this issue?
I am using BEx Final Release 3.5, version 3572.3.90
--> see second to last post - January 24, 2013 from finalword Squire, Sanders & Dempsey