I have a block of data about 800 rows long, 20 collumns wide, which I need to
sort. However the sort option in data is not highlighted and I therefore
can't use it. I have tried selecting a smaller block but this still doesn't
work. In the past I have copied into word, pasted back into excel and for
some reason this has then worked, however the current block seems too big to
do this with.
Any ideas?

On 24 oct, 13:09, naj wrote:
I have a block of data about 800 rows long, 20 collumns wide, which I need to
sort. *However the sort option in data is not highlighted and I therefore
can't use it. *I have tried selecting a smaller block but this still doesn't
work. *In the past I have copied into word, pasted back into excel and for
some reason this has then worked, however the current block seems too big to
do this with.
Any ideas?

If you have that problem, then you should verify your system's memory,
not inside MS-Excel limits. Such amount of data is nothing for MS-
Excel capabilities; I just built an 800 x 20 matriz of random digits
and letters, and it works just fine.
In the past I have worked with millions of cells in single worksheets
and Excel always has made the expected tasks.

Jose Corona

If Sort option is grayed out then maybe the worksheet is protected?

Or you have more than one sheet selected?


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:09:01 -0700, naj
wrote:

I have a block of data about 800 rows long, 20 collumns wide, which I need to
sort. However the sort option in data is not highlighted and I therefore
can't use it. I have tried selecting a smaller block but this still doesn't
work. In the past I have copied into word, pasted back into excel and for
some reason this has then worked, however the current block seems too big to
do this with.
Any ideas?