Workbook file size increasing

[Ann @ Staples]

A file was created in XL 97 (I think) currently being opened & saved in XL
2002. It has one sheet. It contains a roster with employee names in cells
A2 - A20 and dates for the month B1, C1 etc through to AF1. In some cells
there is a 'X' to indicate that the employee is to work that date. Each cell
has a border and some have shading (to indicate weekends).
Each month the file is updated to show the new roster and the 'X's' for each
person are moved into differing cells. The file is saved.
No additional data is added. The file in July was 3.6MB, now its 5.4MB!!
Why would it have increased in size so much since the last save - if no
extra data was added?
I wouldn't have thought that a file like this should have been anywhere near
1MB anyway??
What can be done so that the file doesn't keep increasing in size again -
it's huge to email using a dial up modem.
There aren't any logos, versions being saved, back up being created....

 

[CLR]

Hi Ann..........

We have one of those at work, for "Work-in-Process", that is updated and
distributed every week. It started below 500k and all of a sudden with a
series of new "caretakers" started climbing quickly in size to now 6MB. I
went over and talked to the current one the other day and found the file
was "shared" (Tools > Share Workbook > and had the "Allow changes by more
than one user at the same time" box checked). She did not know it was that
way and had no requirement that it should be. When we unchecked the box
and saved the file, it's now back to about 500KB.........

We also noticed the file had numerous cells outside the work area that were
formatted with shading and borders...........we cleared them as well.

hth
Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3

 

[Norman Jones]

Hi Ann,

Use the following link to go to Debra Dalgleish's web site and then follow
her directions to reset the used range of your workbook.

http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#Unused