Problem with a template in Excel 2007

[Jim Peterson]

Hi everyone and thanks in advance for any help you can offer. It seems I can
always find someone on here with the answer I need.

I am using XP Pro and Office 2007.

I'm not sure how to describe my problem, but here goes:

I have built a template and saved it as an .xlts file. It appears in the "My
Templates" box when I ask for it. The template has three or four colums for
dates, a couple of columns for amounts (currency) and some general columns. I
have formatted all cells appropriate for their type of data. Additionally, I
hav a couple of columns that are filled with color full length as they define
some borders. I use a separate page for each customer's information.

If I open the template as a new workbook it opens OK and everything is as I
have saved it as a template.

However (here's the problem), when I attempt to insert the template page
into an existing workbook the page will insert and open OK, but a lot of the
formatting is missing or has mysteriously been replaced by formatting I
didn't select and don't want. Some of the columns that have color fill will
only be partially filled with some cells left white. I had formatted all date
cells as xx/xx/xx, but many of them are now formatted as x/xx/xxxx.

Again, if I start a new workbook with the template, the initial template
page is OK. But any time I try to "Insert" the template page into an existing
workbook, or even into the new workbook I just started with the same
template, the formatting goofs up.

This is a real mind blower. I've never had Excel do anything like this before.

Any ideas anybody?

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Sheeloo]

How are you 'inserting' the template page?

Try this;
Select the template sheet and copy it
Go to a blank sheet in the workbook you want it to be
Paste it

Does this solve the problem?

 

[Jim Peterson]

Thanks for your ideas and help

I right click on the page tab that will be behind the new sheet, select
Insert, and then select the template from the Templates dialog box.

I tried your suggestion. I opened my template as a new Workbook. I then when
to my existing workbook, right clicked on the proper page tab and selected
Insert. I then inserted a blank workbook page, NOT my template.

Then I went to my open template in the new Workbook, copied the entire page
and pasted it to the blank page I had just inserted in the existing workbook.
That does seem to work and the formatting appears to be OK.

Why??? Any ideas?

 

[Sheeloo]

Glad that it worked.

I guess that when you insert the sheet in a workbook it applies the default
format for that workbook (which is your default format) which overrides your
custom formatting...

It should not happen that way...

 

[Jim Peterson]

That was my only thought that some sort of default formatting was overriding.

But here's the problem with that idea: When I insert the template page and
the formatting goes away, it only does it in certain cells. I don't lose the
formatting in an entire column or row, just in sporadic cells that seem to
have no rhyme or reason.

Still seems to have me baffled, but we'll contine copyng and pasting for now.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Sheeloo]

Can you mail the template to me?

Just remove the first part after @ in my email id.

What is the Excel version you are using?

 

[Jim Peterson]

Thanks.

I am sending you the template. The email will be from
(e-mail address removed).

I'll tell you in my email as well, but I am using XP Pro and Office 2007.