Chart data different than displayed Chart

[Dave B]

I have a chart here that was created in MS Word 2003. The chart was saved in
the document and everything was fine, until we tried to edit the chart. Then
somehow the chart showed the changes, but still printed the old way. And when
I go back into the chart, to edit, it reverts to the old version and displays
the old data. Furthermore the chart no longer displays the new dat and I have
essentially lost all my changes.

I'm pretty sure I can't recover my changes, but does any have any idea how
to prevent this from happening again or how this happened? Has this happened
to anybody else?

Thanks

 

[CyberTaz]

The first thing that comes to mind....

Was the doc received via *email* as an attachment? Then you double-clicked
the attachment icon, made your changes, closed & "saved". When you reopen
the attachment the changes aren't there?

Despite the fact that you don't get told by the software, you *can't* save
changes to the actual doc 'cause it's saved on the mail server. You're just
saving to an ethereal copy that opens in the host app - in this case Word.
The app 'thinks' it is being saved because it just hands the doc off to *be*
saved & it gets fooled just like you were.

If this is the case, always save the attachment to your local HD *first*,
then open that copy & make your changes.

Should this not be the case I'm not sure what the problem might be - is the
file on a network drive, perhaps? Any additional detail (including version
of PC Word that made the file) would be helpful.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

The Chart application in Word 2003 and the chart application in Word 2004
are different.

When you open the chart in Word 2004, it converts everything into Mac
format, including the charts. You then have two versions stored in the
document.

When you edit, you edit the Mac version. But when you open or print, I
think it re-constructs the chart from the original data, which is the PC
version.

I had THOUGHT that if you were to save and close the document after editing,
Word 2004 would substitute the Mac version. But I think if you edit on the
PC, it will find and use the original chart and data.

Sorry to be not much help

I have a chart here that was created in MS Word 2003. The chart was saved in
the document and everything was fine, until we tried to edit the chart. Then
somehow the chart showed the changes, but still printed the old way. And when
I go back into the chart, to edit, it reverts to the old version and displays
the old data. Furthermore the chart no longer displays the new dat and I have
essentially lost all my changes.

I'm pretty sure I can't recover my changes, but does any have any idea how
to prevent this from happening again or how this happened? Has this happened
to anybody else?

Thanks

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

 

[CyberTaz]

'Morning, John -

Have been doing some poking around... FWIW, See the interjections;

The Chart application in Word 2003 and the chart application in Word 2004
are different.

When you open the chart in Word 2004, it converts everything into Mac
format, including the charts. You then have two versions stored in the
document.

This may well be the case. I don't claim to have much knowledge about what
goes on in the 'inner sanctum' - especially in crossover docs. But...

When you edit, you edit the Mac version. But when you open or print, I
think it re-constructs the chart from the original data, which is the PC
version.

I had THOUGHT that if you were to save and close the document after editing,
Word 2004 would substitute the Mac version. But I think if you edit on the
PC, it will find and use the original chart and data.

Have been playing for about 15 minutes. Created a chart in Word 2003 (via
VPC7), opened the doc in 2004, made & saved changes. The changes were still
there when reopened in 2004 and when reopened in 2003. Banged back & forth
between versions saving changes in each & experienced no loss when opened in
the other version. Didn't do any printing, but Print Preview in each version
showed the accurate current of the content. I did notice that opening the
file in 2004 produced a "Converting Metafile" dialog which is to be
expected. Perhaps earlier versions on one, the other, or both behaved as you
described, but it seems the anomaly has been rectified in current versions.

Sorry to be not much help

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Bob:

Thanks for testing that. I wasn't SURE it works properly. What you have
described is how it is supposed to work.

What I should have added is that the scenario I describe happens when the
document (the final section-break, actually) corrupts. When that happens,
the two versions of Word seem to lose track of the "latest" version of the
artefact.

This is actually an extension of the "Stranded RTF Blob" bug we have had in
Word for about ten years, on both the PC and Mac platforms.

I have this swelling sense of over-confidence that the move to the XML file
format in Office 2008 will finally put this bug to rest.

Cheers

'Morning, John -

Have been doing some poking around... FWIW, See the interjections;




This may well be the case. I don't claim to have much knowledge about what
goes on in the 'inner sanctum' - especially in crossover docs. But...

Have been playing for about 15 minutes. Created a chart in Word 2003 (via
VPC7), opened the doc in 2004, made & saved changes. The changes were still
there when reopened in 2004 and when reopened in 2003. Banged back & forth
between versions saving changes in each & experienced no loss when opened in
the other version. Didn't do any printing, but Print Preview in each version
showed the accurate current of the content. I did notice that opening the
file in 2004 produced a "Converting Metafile" dialog which is to be
expected. Perhaps earlier versions on one, the other, or both behaved as you
described, but it seems the anomaly has been rectified in current versions.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Business Analyst, Consultant
Technical Writer.
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

 

[CyberTaz]

I have this swelling sense of over-confidence that the move to the XML file
format in Office 2008 will finally put this bug to rest.

Wouldn't that be loverly?!!!

I agree with your recollection, though - It seems to me that problems of
this nature used to occur. That's why I asked about which version of PC Word
created the chart... I thought that might be pertinent, but my money's still
on "Edited Attachment" in the eighth race @ Hialeah!

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac