Excel says it has opened the file but it hasn't

[lb580]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I try to open some of my files (through open or open recent) I get the dialog "opening" and the progress bar. It all looks fine but there is no open file. When I select "window" on the menu bar the file is not listed on the windows to switch between, but, if I try to open the file again it tells me it is already open and if I try to close Excel it asks me if I want to save the changes made to the file (that I cannot see so obviously have made no changes to!)

Anyone else had this problem and found a solution?

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I try to open some of my files (through open or open recent) I get the
dialog "opening" and the progress bar. It all looks fine but there is no open
file. When I select "window" on the menu bar the file is not listed on the
windows to switch between, but, if I try to open the file again it tells me it
is already open and if I try to close Excel it asks me if I want to save the
changes made to the file (that I cannot see so obviously have made no changes
to!)

Anyone else had this problem and found a solution?

The window is probably hidden. In the window menu look in unhide.

 

[XinXin]

When I try to open some of my files (through open or open recent) I get the dialog "opening" and the progress bar. It all looks fine but there is no open file. When I select "window" on the menu bar the file is not listed on the windows to switch between, but, if I try to open the file again it tells me it is already open and if I try to close Excel it asks me if I want to save the changes made to the file (that I cannot see so obviously have made no changes to!)

Anyone else had this problem and found a solution?

Hi there, can you please make sure your XL has upgraded to the latest release (12.2.1)? If this doesn't work, I'd appreciate if you could send me a copy of your spreadsheet ([email protected]). We will investigate this issue.

Thanks,
XinXin
Macintosh Business Unit
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[lb580]

Thanks XinXin but Bob was right. When I went into "unhide" I found the file in that list and was able to unhide and view it.

Thing is, I would have assumed the file was corrupt and unusable without Bob's help. When I open a file I want to see it & if I then want to hide it then I can choose to. If it is hidden when I open it the risk of misinterpreting the situation is huge, but the potential benefit to the few who want to keep the hidden status on a file is a tiny saving of a couple of menu moves.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Thanks XinXin but Bob was right. When I went into "unhide" I found the file in
that list and was able to unhide and view it.

Thing is, I would have assumed the file was corrupt and unusable without Bob's
help. When I open a file I want to see it & if I then want to hide it then I
can choose to. If it is hidden when I open it the risk of misinterpreting the
situation is huge, but the potential benefit to the few who want to keep the
hidden status on a file is a tiny saving of a couple of menu moves.

This often happens inadvertently. Here's a situation where this may have
happened to you:
You open workbook A to work on it. You have made some changes and may or may
not have saved the changes, but leave the workbook open. You then later open
another workbook (B). You find that workbook A is visible when you arrange
windows or switch back and forth between another application, and Excel,
and, to avoid this, you hide workbook A. You then finish working with
workbook B and forgot that A is still open. You quit Excel, and get a Save
changes message about workbook A. You forgot the A was still open, or what
you did last so you click yes to be sure. Workbook A is now saved as hidden.
It will exhibit the symptoms you first reported when it is next opened.