Window size/position of opened spreadsheets

[Richard Starling]

I have come across a problem whereby with multiple sheets/workbooks open I
accidentally activated the Window/Arrange/Tile option and since then sheets
opened either from the file system or email attachments (I use Lotus Notes)
open in a variety of 'tiled' sizes and positions. As I had a lot of sheets
open when I did this most of the opened Windows are too small to work with
without re-sizing and positioning. I have trashed both Excel pref files,
deleted all items in var/tmp/folders.501/temporaryitems and restarted OSX.
This happened to me once before and I seem to recall that only a re-install
of Excel would fix the problem. Has anyone seen this and got an alternative
fix?

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

I have come across a problem whereby with multiple sheets/workbooks open I
accidentally activated the Window/Arrange/Tile option and since then sheets
opened either from the file system or email attachments (I use Lotus Notes)
open in a variety of 'tiled' sizes and positions. As I had a lot of sheets
open when I did this most of the opened Windows are too small to work with
without re-sizing and positioning. I have trashed both Excel pref files,
deleted all items in var/tmp/folders.501/temporaryitems and restarted OSX.
This happened to me once before and I seem to recall that only a re-install
of Excel would fix the problem. Has anyone seen this and got an alternative
fix?

I'm not sure what the problem is exactly. Windows-Arrange will tile or
cascade the windows. If you select tile and there are many windows it is
quite possible that individual windows may appear too small. Simply select
the window again and choose arrange, but make sure the windows of active
document only is checked. You are describing the designed behavior of Excel.
If you think it should behave differently, please supply some more detail
about what is happening vs. what you expect to see. It is unlikely that a
reinstall of Excel will cure this (or any other problem).

 

[Richard Starling]

Bob,

The problem is that any spreadsheet I open now will open in a 'random'
position and size. If I resize and position the sheet and save it and then
reopen it then it does open in the same position/size as I saved it. Any
spreadsheet email attachment exhibits the same behavior and of course there
is no way to change the 'default' position and size of any existing, or any
new email attached spreadsheets (until I save them in the file system).
What I expect to see is that all spreadsheets in my file system should open
in the same position/size as when I saved them originally (they aren't until
I have re-opened and saved them) and email attached spreadsheets should open
anchored to the tool bar top left, depth down to the dock and width I'm not
sure about. Appreciate any further insight you may have.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Bob,

The problem is that any spreadsheet I open now will open in a 'random'
position and size. If I resize and position the sheet and save it and then
reopen it then it does open in the same position/size as I saved it. Any
spreadsheet email attachment exhibits the same behavior and of course there
is no way to change the 'default' position and size of any existing, or any
new email attached spreadsheets (until I save them in the file system).
What I expect to see is that all spreadsheets in my file system should open
in the same position/size as when I saved them originally (they aren't until
I have re-opened and saved them) and email attached spreadsheets should open
anchored to the tool bar top left, depth down to the dock and width I'm not
sure about. Appreciate any further insight you may have.

As you have found out, the workbooks open in their last saved position. This
position is preserved even through email. So the workbooks you receive are
opening at the position where the last user saved them before emailing them
to you.

 

[Richard Starling]

Bob,

Sorry to labor this but this is demonstrably not so. I get a user to save a
spreadsheet opened in a full sized window and email it to me. When I
receive the email and open the spreadsheet it is anchored top left but is
only several rows deep. The sending user is on Windows as are all my
colleagues, I continue to plow a lone furrow with Mac..... This phenomenon
applies to new emails and to those that go back months before I started to
have this problem, which was definitely caused by the Window/Arrange/Tile
operation. I'm pretty sure that only a re-install of Excel will fix this.

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Bob,

Sorry to labor this but this is demonstrably not so. I get a user to save a
spreadsheet opened in a full sized window and email it to me. When I
receive the email and open the spreadsheet it is anchored top left but is
only several rows deep. The sending user is on Windows as are all my
colleagues, I continue to plow a lone furrow with Mac..... This phenomenon
applies to new emails and to those that go back months before I started to
have this problem, which was definitely caused by the Window/Arrange/Tile
operation. I'm pretty sure that only a re-install of Excel will fix this.

The mac windowing system works a little differently than windows'. You are
probably experiencing the manifestation of these differences with the mac at
a different screen resolution than the windows machine. I find the windows
size and positions are rarely identical (most time not even close) as I
switch platforms. Therefore for most multi platform workbooks I include
sizing and positioning code in the workbook open event. But, go ahead and
try the reinstall and please report back.

 

[Slipface]

The mac windowing system works a little differently than windows'. You are
probably experiencing the manifestation of these differences with the mac at
a different screen resolution than the windows machine.

That's totally the case at my work. I swap files back and forth
repeatedly with some folks on Windows machines at low resolution.
EVery time I get them back, they are only about a quarter of the size
of my screen. I have to re-size them every time. I think the Windows
users have it easier--when they open my large-sized version, I think
that Excel automatically reduces it down to fit their screen. Too bad
it doesn't do the opposite for me

_dennis

 

[Jim Gordon]

Hi,

I faced the same problem and solved it by putting this macro into my
workbooks.

Sub Autpen()
If Application.OperatingSystem Like "*Mac*" Then
ActiveWindow.Zoom = 100
With ActiveWindow
.WindowState = xlMaximized
.Top = 1
.Left = 1
.Height = Application.UsableHeight
.Width = Application.UsableWidth
End With
Else
ActiveWindow.Zoom = 70
With ActiveWindow
.WindowState = xlMaximized
End With
End If
End Sub

If you read the macro you'll see that if the workbook opens on a Mac the
window zooms to 100%, but on a PC that has low resolution that looks too
big, so the zoom gets set to 70% (you can play with these settings to
suit your users).

To put a macro into a workbook go to the Tools menu. Choose Macro >
Visual Basic Editor. When the Editor opens choose Insert > Module and
then paste the above code into the module.

To return to the workbook click the View Microsoft Excel button on the
Editor's toolbar (it's the first one).

Then save the workbook and use it as usual.

Your Windows folks will have to do a one time setup to use your
workbooks. Before they try to open your workbook, from a blank (or any
other) workbook they need to go to their Tools menu and choose Options.
On the Security tab they should click the Macro Security button. Then
they should adjust the Macro security to Medium. Click OK OK OK OK
infinitum until they get back to the workbook.

Now, whenever your workbooks are opened the user will be prompted about
macros. They should click the Enable Macros button and then the workbook
will open and it will be properly sized every time on both Mac and Windows.

-Jim Gordon
Mac MVP