Im seeing various posts on this subject but the suggestions already given
dont answer what is happening. Thought Id throw it out for the €œgurus€� to
see if they have an answer.

I have a file or rather a sequence of activities that leads to an
excessively large file. Im not looking for the €œquick fix€�. Im trying to
understand €œthe why €œso that Im not blindly creating the same issues to a
smaller degree in my processes.

I have a series of workbooks that are task specific. The formulas, links and
data size have lead me to task specific books to keep calculation wait times
down. Ive designed them so that a copy and paste from one workbook
(essentially its output) becomes an input for another book. I could link them
but I dont like twiddling my thumbs !

I have the following happening. If I create a copy of a worksheet in say
Book A, place it in a new book, paste values, remove all names, delete all
columns and rows not needed to clear out old stuff, I get an acceptable file
of 282kb.

If I take the same sheet, paste it into my next workbook, remove all linked
formulas and save it. Then if I create a copy of this same worksheet, place
it in a new book, paste values, remove all range names, delete all columns
and rows not needed to clear out old stuff. Also making sure there are no
live links. I get a file of 1.66MB!

I have then taken that file and deleted all columns except A, then deleted
A, Removed all formats, pasted all cell values, cleared all cell contents,
made sure their were no range names, or macros and saved the file again. In
my mind it should be a new worksheet after that but the file is still 1.46MB
! If I insert a new sheet, delete the one I have been working on and save,
Im down to 13KB. That to me says the sheet is the problemo !

My question is what can be €œhanging on that keeps this sheet so large? In
each book the sheet was linked to by various formulas from other sheets. In
many cases the sheet had links to other sheets and or books. I'm thinking
that those linkages though supposedly severed by pasting values still exist
within the sheet. Excel says there are no links but its all I can come up
with! Can't prove it but its my suspicion.

Thanks!