Excel 2013 doesn’t work if started from 8.3 path

With version 2013 of Excel (but also with Word and the others office components) if you try to start the executable from the 8.3 directory path, with the following command line:

“C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\Root\Office15\excel.exe”

For some reason, Excel 2013 doesn’t work. The 8.3 path is correct, that’s not the cause.

Launching Excel using

C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~1\root\office15\EXCEL.EXE

starts the process, but it doesn’t create any window and dies after a few seconds. Process Monitor reveals that the process attempts to access the non-existing registry key

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppVISV\c:\progra~1\micros~1.

In my registry I have a key c:\program files\microsoft office 15 under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppVISV

Then I created a new registry string under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AppVISV called

c:\progra~1\micros~1

and I’ve used for this key the same value under the key c:\program files\microsoft office 15

This has fixed the issue, and Excel has started  without problems!