Are you receiving the error popup “cannot start the source application for this object” when trying to open an embedded PDF in Microsoft Excel?
This error can be frustrating and prevent you from accessing important information.
But don’t worry, there are a few solutions you can try to fix this issue.
In this blog post, we will discuss the causes of this error and provide detailed steps on how to fix it.
Whether it’s changing your default app or contacting Microsoft support, we’ve got you covered.
What Causes “Cannot Start The Source Application For This Object” In Excel
“Cannot start the source application for this object” error in Microsoft Excel can be caused by several factors such as:
- The default app for opening PDF files is not set or is incorrect.
- The program used to create the embedded PDF file is not installed on your system.
- An issue with the Excel application itself, such as a corrupted file or compatibility issues with the operating system or other software.
- Incorrect file associations or file type setting.
- Issues with the embedded object link or the location of the source file.
- Conflict with other software that is interfering with the ability of Excel to launch the source application for the embedded object.
It’s important to note that this error message can also be caused by other types of embedded objects, not just PDFs.
How To Fix “Cannot Start The Source Application For This Object” In Excel?
1. Change Default App Preferences
In some cases, the error “Cannot start the source application for this object” may occur because the default app for opening PDF files is not set correctly.
To change the default app for PDF files, you can follow below steps:
- Open the Windows Settings.
- Click on the “Apps” option.
- Click on the “Default Apps” option.
- Find the option to set the default app for .pdf files and select the app you prefer to use to open PDFs.
- Try opening the embedded PDF in Excel again and see if the error persists.
2. Re-associate Foxit PhantomPDF With Adobe Acrobat Object In Excel File
If you are using Foxit PhantomPDF to open embedded PDFs in Excel, but are still encountering the error, you may need to re-associate Foxit PhantomPDF with the Adobe Acrobat object in the Excel file.
To do this, you can follow below steps:
- Open Foxit PhantomPDF and go to File > Preferences > File Associations.
- Click on the Advanced button.
- Uncheck the option “Use Foxit PhantomPDF to open embedded Acrobat files an embedded Foxit Reader PDF files in Microsoft Office” and click OK.
- Click on “Make default PDF viewer” and choose “Yes” if prompted by a UAC message.
- Go back to the Advanced button in the File Associations menu and check the option “Use Foxit PhantomPDF to open embedded Acrobat files an embedded Foxit Reader PDF files in Microsoft Office” again.
- Click OK and then “Make default PDF viewer” and “OK” to apply the changes.
- Try opening the embedded PDF in Excel again and see if the error persists.
3. Install The Same Program Which Was Used For Source File
In some cases, the error may occur if you are trying to open an embedded PDF that was created with a different program than the one you currently have installed.
To ensure that you are able to open the embedded PDF, you should install the same program that was used to create the PDF.
4. Contact Microsoft Support Team
If none of the above solutions work, you can contact the Microsoft Support team for further assistance.
They will be able to provide specific solutions tailored to your problem, and may also be able to provide additional troubleshooting steps.
Additionally, you can also seek help on online forums where other users may share their experiences with the error code.
