Maximum tabs in Excel?

[Zakynthos]

I need to import a large amount of data (of unknown size) into Excel.
Each item of data needs to go on a new tab - and when attempting the import
it is erroring.

What is ther maximum number of tabs I can create in an Excel spreadsheet?

many thanks

 

[David Biddulph]

If by "tabs" you mean "worksheets", the number in a workbook is limted by
memory, rather than by any arbitrary limit in Excel.

You say "it is erroring", but it may be better if you tell the group exactly
what error message you are getting.

 

[Zakynthos]

david,

Thanks for that - really helpful - I'll check again the kind of error
message and report back.

 

[Chip Pearson]

It is worth noting that David's reply, that it is limited by memory,
implies that it is limited by the memory on each computer on which the
file will be used. If you have a high-end machine with loads of free
memory, you may be able to add a great many sheets. But if you send
the workbook to another user whose machine has less available memory,
they won't be able to (1) see all the sheets, or, perhaps (2) open the
workbook at all.

My personal feeling is that a workbook is getting too large when you
get up around 200 worksheets. There may be cases in which it makes
sense (e.g., one sheet per day of the year), but often it just makes a
workbook hard to work with.

Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP
Excel Product Group
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com
(email on web site)

 

[Zakynthos]

Chip,

Many thanks for your reply - really useful.