Destructive problem (Excel and Word

[Ron]

So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton of complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no problems. Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous times in the past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15 rows) and hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and CTRL-V (Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in ALL the sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells which previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel. When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and paste - it doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[macropod]

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel workbook, I can't see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks (other than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel Options|Advanced).

Cheers

 

[Ron]

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save operation, 2)while
it’s sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot duplicate it, which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this workbook. I’m going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further. Although I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going on. This is a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron

 

[macropod]

Hi Ron,

If you're only copying the data, why are you saving the workbook? That would be unnecessary and is obviously close to the heart of
your problems.

 

[DL]

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close, reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

 

[Ron]

Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

 

[macropod]

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here - cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

 

[Ron]

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data) Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here - cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

 

[macropod]

OK, then, it sounds like a corrupt workbook. Have you tried Excel 2007's file repair utility (also under Excel Options|Advanced)
before opening/saving the workbook?

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data) Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close, reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15 rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel. When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[Ron]

OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software – no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word – PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook, copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word – PROBLEM.
Doesn’t matter what you copy – text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or 'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word first, then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data) Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here - cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close, reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15 rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel. When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[macropod]

Hi Ron,

Perhaps give 'Detect & Repair' a try in both Word and Excel, with nothing else running.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software – no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word – PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook, copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word – PROBLEM.
Doesn’t matter what you copy – text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or 'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word first, then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data) Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close, reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15 rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel. When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[Ron]

Well, Office 2007 no longer offers "Detect and Repair", but we do have a a
new tool: Microsoft Office Diagnostics. (Excel Options | Resources | run
Microsoft Office Diagnostics). I've tried this on both programs, and they
both think everything is ok. Surprise! I wish I could get someone at
Microsoft interested in this because I keep waiting for the other shoe to
drop - someday I fear I am going to find valuable workbooks totally
corrupted. Although I am a backup fanatic (in spite of this problem, the
only thing I've lost is the current updates I've made) and I've been able to
recover with minimum impact. I'm thinking of just reloading Office 2007
totally, even though I'll lose all my customization. At least it may restore
my faith in the programs!
Thanks for your interest and comments.
Ron

Hi Ron,

Perhaps give 'Detect & Repair' a try in both Word and Excel, with nothing else running.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software – no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word – PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook, copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word – PROBLEM.
Doesn’t matter what you copy – text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or 'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word first, then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data) Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

:

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close, reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15 rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel. When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[DL]

Have you yet posted to the excel specific group?

Well, Office 2007 no longer offers "Detect and Repair", but we do have a a
new tool: Microsoft Office Diagnostics. (Excel Options | Resources | run
Microsoft Office Diagnostics). I've tried this on both programs, and they
both think everything is ok. Surprise! I wish I could get someone at
Microsoft interested in this because I keep waiting for the other shoe to
drop - someday I fear I am going to find valuable workbooks totally
corrupted. Although I am a backup fanatic (in spite of this problem, the
only thing I've lost is the current updates I've made) and I've been able
to
recover with minimum impact. I'm thinking of just reloading Office 2007
totally, even though I'll lose all my customization. At least it may
restore
my faith in the programs!
Thanks for your interest and comments.
Ron

Hi Ron,

Perhaps give 'Detect & Repair' a try in both Word and Excel, with nothing
else running.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software - no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word - PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook,
copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word -
PROBLEM.
Doesn't matter what you copy - text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No
save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook
(save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no
save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close
Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close
Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or
'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY
hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word first,
then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys
might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!




:

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some
data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100
cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my
first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a
backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data)
Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

:

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're
using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel
there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into
Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to
another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into
Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results.
May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the
sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once
reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close,
reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your
copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how
the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save
operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot
duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this
workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further.
Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going
on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel
workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks
(other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual
Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton
of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no
problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous
times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15
rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and
CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in
ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells
which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel.
When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and
paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the
spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[Ron]

I have not posted to the Excel site as yet; I'm not convinced that Excel is
the problem, I suspect Word. However, clearly I am at the stage where more
input wouldn't be a bad thing, so I will take your suggestion and post
tonight.
Thanks
Ron

Well, Office 2007 no longer offers "Detect and Repair", but we do have a a
new tool: Microsoft Office Diagnostics. (Excel Options | Resources | run
Microsoft Office Diagnostics). I've tried this on both programs, and they
both think everything is ok. Surprise! I wish I could get someone at
Microsoft interested in this because I keep waiting for the other shoe to
drop - someday I fear I am going to find valuable workbooks totally
corrupted. Although I am a backup fanatic (in spite of this problem, the
only thing I've lost is the current updates I've made) and I've been able to
recover with minimum impact. I'm thinking of just reloading Office 2007
totally, even though I'll lose all my customization. At least it may restore
my faith in the programs!
Thanks for your interest and comments.
Ron

Hi Ron,

Perhaps give 'Detect & Repair' a try in both Word and Excel, with nothing else running.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]

OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software – no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word – PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook, copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word – PROBLEM.
Doesn’t matter what you copy – text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word, close Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or 'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word first, then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!




:

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about 100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data) Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

:

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close, reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007 SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15 rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel. When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[DL]

Then cross post to a word group

I have not posted to the Excel site as yet; I'm not convinced that Excel is
the problem, I suspect Word. However, clearly I am at the stage where
more
input wouldn't be a bad thing, so I will take your suggestion and post
tonight.
Thanks
Ron

Well, Office 2007 no longer offers "Detect and Repair", but we do have a
a
new tool: Microsoft Office Diagnostics. (Excel Options | Resources |
run
Microsoft Office Diagnostics). I've tried this on both programs, and
they
both think everything is ok. Surprise! I wish I could get someone at
Microsoft interested in this because I keep waiting for the other shoe to
drop - someday I fear I am going to find valuable workbooks totally
corrupted. Although I am a backup fanatic (in spite of this problem, the
only thing I've lost is the current updates I've made) and I've been able
to
recover with minimum impact. I'm thinking of just reloading Office 2007
totally, even though I'll lose all my customization. At least it may
restore
my faith in the programs!
Thanks for your interest and comments.
Ron

Hi Ron,

Perhaps give 'Detect & Repair' a try in both Word and Excel, with
nothing else running.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software - no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel
workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word - PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook,
copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word -
PROBLEM.
Doesn't matter what you copy - text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No
save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook
(save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no
save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word,
close Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word,
close Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or
'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY
hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word
first, then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys
might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!




:

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some
data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about
100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in
my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a
backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data)
Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

:

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're
using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel
there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into
Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to
another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into
Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post
results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through
the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once
reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close,
reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your
copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand
how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save
operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot
duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this
workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it
further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going
on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel
workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted
workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you
try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual
Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a
ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no
problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007
SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous
times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15
rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document
and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells
in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells
which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel.
When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and
paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the
spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron

 

[Ron]

good idea. I'm on it!
See ya.

Then cross post to a word group

I have not posted to the Excel site as yet; I'm not convinced that Excel is
the problem, I suspect Word. However, clearly I am at the stage where
more
input wouldn't be a bad thing, so I will take your suggestion and post
tonight.
Thanks
Ron

Well, Office 2007 no longer offers "Detect and Repair", but we do have a
a
new tool: Microsoft Office Diagnostics. (Excel Options | Resources |
run
Microsoft Office Diagnostics). I've tried this on both programs, and
they
both think everything is ok. Surprise! I wish I could get someone at
Microsoft interested in this because I keep waiting for the other shoe to
drop - someday I fear I am going to find valuable workbooks totally
corrupted. Although I am a backup fanatic (in spite of this problem, the
only thing I've lost is the current updates I've made) and I've been able
to
recover with minimum impact. I'm thinking of just reloading Office 2007
totally, even though I'll lose all my customization. At least it may
restore
my faith in the programs!
Thanks for your interest and comments.
Ron

:

Hi Ron,

Perhaps give 'Detect & Repair' a try in both Word and Excel, with
nothing else running.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


OK ... here are the results of 8 tests I ran tonight:
Test 1: another computer, same software - no problem
Test 2: Copy/paste to Notepad, Textpad , Outlook, new Excel
workbook,
Powerpoint, Publisher - no problem. Copy/paste to Word - PROBLEM
Test 3: 15 iterations, fresh copy each time. Using same workbook,
copy
different sections from different sheets in the workbook to Word -
PROBLEM.
Doesn't matter what you copy - text, data, calculations, etc.
Test 4. Copy something, open Word but DO NOT PASTE. Close Excel (No
save).
Close Word. Open Workbook - PROBLEM
Test 5: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook
(save),
open workbook - PROBLEM
Test 6: open workbook, copy something, open Word, close workbook (no
save),
open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 7: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word,
close Excel
(save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM
Test 8: open Word, open workbook, copy something, paste to word,
close Excel
(no save), close Word, open workbook - NO PROBLEM

So, seems to be isolated to Word/Excel - no other Office apps or
'foreign'
programs. Apparently happens only on this machine - but I REALLY
hesitate to
draw that conclusion! Not enough data.
Also, seems that reversing the open order (Tests 7 and 8 - Word
first, then
Excel) eliminates the problem!

Too tired to think about this anymore tonight but thought you guys
might be
interested in digesting the latest. Enjoy!




:

Oops! My bad. It is definitely COPY/Paste.
As to your previous comment ... the normal process is to update some
data in
the workbook, which results in calculated data in other parts of the
workbook. I then select a small section of one sheet, up to about
100 cells,
and copy/paste to a new word document. The rest is as-described in
my first
post. For purposes of testing, I repeated the entire process with a
backup
copy but went directly to the copy/paste operation (no updated data)
Same
result, so I know it is not the data updating causing the problem.

:

Hi Ron,

Previously you said you were using Copy/Paste; now you say you're
using Cut/Paste. There's a fundamental difference here -
cutting
deletes the data from the Excel workbook.

--
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]


Yes to your questions. It's true that if I work only in Excel
there is no
problem. The problem occurs with the cut/paste operation into
Word.
I'm going to try to narrow it down some more - i.e., move it to
another
machine, reduce the size of the workbook, do the cut/paste into
Textpad or
Wordpad or even Outlook to see if it happens. I'll post
results. May be a
while, my wife has "chores" for me to do!!!
Ron

:

If you open the workbook, do nothing other than look through
the sheets,
then close it - presumably theres no prompt to save - Once
reopened its ok?
Then if you open the workbook update some data, save, close,
reopen, its OK?
If all the above is true then something is happening in your
copy/paste
operation with Word.

Perhaps post to an Excel specific group?

No prompt ... clicked on save.
Also, I tried "Detect & Repair" - no change.
You hit the nail on the head, though. I cannot understand
how the data is
getting corrupted, or when. Has to be 1) during the save
operation,
2)while
it's sitting there on disk, or 3) at the open file.
I tried this sequence of events with a new file, cannot
duplicate it,
which
leads me to believe there is something going on in this
workbook. I'm
going
to start deleting sheets and see if I can pinpoint it
further. Although
I
now have a workaround, I am very curious as to what is going
on. This is
a
scary problem, since it is so destructive.
Thanks for the post.
Ron



:

Hi Ron,

Unless you accepted a prompt to save the opened Excel
workbook, I can't
see how anything could have been changed.

Whilst I can't tell you how to remedy your corrupted
workbooks (other
than by reloading them from a backup), I would suggest you
try
running Excel's 'Detect and Repair' facility (Under Excel
Options|Advanced).

Cheers


So ... here's a strange (and VERY devestating) event.
OS: Win XP-SP3 Build 2600
Office 2007 SP1
System: Dell XPS-630i, 4GM RAM, 3.2GHZ Intel Core 2 Dual
Core

I have a complex spreadsheet with about 12 sheets, and a
ton of
complicated
equations. I have used this spreadsheet for 3 years, no
problems.
Recently
upgraded (Automatic Updates) to XP-SP3 and Office 2007
SP-1
I have performed the following sequence of events numerous
times in the
past
with no problems:
1. I open the spreadsheet and update some data.
2. I highlight a small block of cells (say, 7 columns, 15
rows) and
hit
CTRL-C to copy to the clipboard.
3. Leaving Excel running, I open a blank Word document
and CTRL-V
(Paste)
the data.
4. I return to the spreadsheet and save it to disk,
5. I return to the Word document, save it, close Word.
6. I open the Excel spreadsheet and ... 90% of the cells
in ALL the
sheets
are wiped out, displaying 1-JUN-00! This includes cells
which
previously
held only data, no equations.

Note that the data in Excel was OK when I closed Excel.
When it is
reopened, the data is destroyed.

I can create this scenario repeatedly.
I can even select a different block of data to copy and
paste - it
doesn't
matter, the spreadsheet gets destroyed.

I can also prevent it from happening, by closing the
spreadsheet BEFORE
pasting the block into Word.

Any thoughts?

Ron