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#1
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Excel column widths
I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet
is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? |
#2
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one thing that sometimes happens is that they don't have the same sets of
fonts on their machines. Check that you have a common font set. "Rachael" wrote: I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? |
#3
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Well, it's done in the standard Arial font that excel opens with, so it
should be the same. Does it matter that it was created in excel 97? "bj" wrote: one thing that sometimes happens is that they don't have the same sets of fonts on their machines. Check that you have a common font set. "Rachael" wrote: I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? |
#4
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I do not know if 97 has anything to do with it.
I would try one of two things. Change the font (I have had Fonts that were supposed to be identical which weren't) put a header in that is wider than the date I "Rachael" wrote: Well, it's done in the standard Arial font that excel opens with, so it should be the same. Does it matter that it was created in excel 97? "bj" wrote: one thing that sometimes happens is that they don't have the same sets of fonts on their machines. Check that you have a common font set. "Rachael" wrote: I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? |
#5
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I bet you and the recipient have different windows settings for the short date
format. My bet is you use something like: mm/dd/yy and the recipient uses mm/dd/yyyy When you do Format|cells|Number tab and look at that cell's format, I'm betting you see something like: *03/14/2001 That asterisk means that you chose a short date format that is picked up from the Windows Regional settings (Date tab). xl2002+ is more honest with the way it deals with dates. At the bottom of that dialog (xl2002+): Date formats display date and time serial numbers as date values. Except for items that have an asterisk (*), applied formats do not switch date orders with the operating system. Since yours is marked with an asterisk, your date will switch formats with the setting in the OS. ========== So you have a couple of choices--use a different format that isn't picked up from the windows regional settings, widen the column, change the font size (or change format|cells|alignment tab|check shrink to fit), or change your short date format to be the longest it can be (I like mm/dd/yyyy). Rachael wrote: I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? -- Dave Peterson |
#6
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Excel column widths
I checked and there is no * in front of my data, and it's the same
(dd/mm/yyyy) on all the computers I have tried. And all computers are opening it as Ariel size 10, yet on my computer it's fine, but on others, I get ##### "Dave Peterson" wrote: I bet you and the recipient have different windows settings for the short date format. My bet is you use something like: mm/dd/yy and the recipient uses mm/dd/yyyy When you do Format|cells|Number tab and look at that cell's format, I'm betting you see something like: *03/14/2001 That asterisk means that you chose a short date format that is picked up from the Windows Regional settings (Date tab). xl2002+ is more honest with the way it deals with dates. At the bottom of that dialog (xl2002+): Date formats display date and time serial numbers as date values. Except for items that have an asterisk (*), applied formats do not switch date orders with the operating system. Since yours is marked with an asterisk, your date will switch formats with the setting in the OS. ========== So you have a couple of choices--use a different format that isn't picked up from the windows regional settings, widen the column, change the font size (or change format|cells|alignment tab|check shrink to fit), or change your short date format to be the longest it can be (I like mm/dd/yyyy). Rachael wrote: I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? -- Dave Peterson |
#7
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Excel column widths
The asterisk doesn't appear in the cell. It's in the Format|Cells dialog.
If you widen the column, do you see the date? If yes, do you see the date with a 4 digit year? And do your co-workers see that same date with a 2 digit year? If all three of those are true, then it's the window setting for your short date that's different from your co-worker's setting. Rachael wrote: I checked and there is no * in front of my data, and it's the same (dd/mm/yyyy) on all the computers I have tried. And all computers are opening it as Ariel size 10, yet on my computer it's fine, but on others, I get ##### "Dave Peterson" wrote: I bet you and the recipient have different windows settings for the short date format. My bet is you use something like: mm/dd/yy and the recipient uses mm/dd/yyyy When you do Format|cells|Number tab and look at that cell's format, I'm betting you see something like: *03/14/2001 That asterisk means that you chose a short date format that is picked up from the Windows Regional settings (Date tab). xl2002+ is more honest with the way it deals with dates. At the bottom of that dialog (xl2002+): Date formats display date and time serial numbers as date values. Except for items that have an asterisk (*), applied formats do not switch date orders with the operating system. Since yours is marked with an asterisk, your date will switch formats with the setting in the OS. ========== So you have a couple of choices--use a different format that isn't picked up from the windows regional settings, widen the column, change the font size (or change format|cells|alignment tab|check shrink to fit), or change your short date format to be the longest it can be (I like mm/dd/yyyy). Rachael wrote: I created an excel sheet to track information. It's rather large. The sheet is being sent once a week to a client, and when they get it, the columns resize and some of the dates turn into #####. Why is that? What can I do to stop it? The data is fine on my computer, why is it showing larger on other people's systems? I have all the columns "autofit" so that I can fit more data into a page, so it's a tight fit. Will I just have to enlarge the columns? -- Dave Peterson -- Dave Peterson |
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