software

I'm working in EXCEL 2002, and I have a workbook that someone created with
about 1000 records. When I copy a range of cells to a blank workbook, they
all come out with a formatting pattern that hides all the data (essentially
black). If I paste the same range of cells anywhere in the original workbook
everything works normally. If I match the destination formatting in the new
workbook, it comes out fine there also. There is no conditional formatting
set anywhere. My question is...why does this happen?


quot;Alquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; I'm working in EXCEL 2002, and I have a workbook that someone created with
gt; about 1000 records. When I copy a range of cells to a blank workbook,
gt; they
gt; all come out with a formatting pattern that hides all the data
gt; (essentially
gt; black). If I paste the same range of cells anywhere in the original
gt; workbook
gt; everything works normally. If I match the destination formatting in the
gt; new
gt; workbook, it comes out fine there also. There is no conditional
gt; formatting
gt; set anywhere. My question is...why does this happen?

What do you mean by quot;essentially blackquot;? Rectangular cells fill with a black
pattern???

Can you provide a few samples of the actual data?
When I look at the cell formatting in the new workbook, on the Patterns tab,
it indicates that the pattern is one of the diagonal crosshatches, but the
appearance of the cells is a solid dark gray. If I set the same pattern
myself, it's roughly 50/50 line/space. In trying to extract a sample file, I
see something I didn't notice before. The very first time I paste in the new
workbook, it works fine, but every paste of anything after that has this
strange pattern effect.


quot;Alquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; When I look at the cell formatting in the new workbook, on the Patterns
gt; tab,
gt; it indicates that the pattern is one of the diagonal crosshatches, but the
gt; appearance of the cells is a solid dark gray. If I set the same pattern
gt; myself, it's roughly 50/50 line/space. In trying to extract a sample
gt; file, I
gt; see something I didn't notice before. The very first time I paste in the
gt; new
gt; workbook, it works fine, but every paste of anything after that has this
gt; strange pattern effect.

Al, there's nothing odd about the sample file you sent me. So, my working
theory is that someone using that computer has created a custom template
that Excel's using each time you as for a new workbook. Below is info from
Excel's help file, which tells you how to do that. Before actually doing it,
though, I'd navigate to the folders it suggests, and see if there's a file
called quot;sheet.xltquot;. Move it elsewhere on the disk, restart Excel, open a new
sheet, and see if the problem is solved.

Just one thing - the help file info below is from Excel 2000, which
pre-dates Windows XP. User profiles are no longer beneath the c:\windows
folder. They're beneath quot;Documents and Settingsquot;. So, mine looks like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\Doug\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART

Yours will be similar.

Help file info:

Create a sheet template for new worksheets
1.. Create a workbook that contains one worksheet. On the worksheet,
include the formatting, styles, text, and other information you want to
appear on all new sheets of the same type.2.. On the File menu, click Save As.
Show Me

3.. In the Save as type box, click Template (*.xlt).4.. In the Save in box, select the folder where you want to store the
template.
To create the default worksheet template, select either the XLStart folder
or the alternate startup folder. The XLStart folder is usually
C:\os\Profiles\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart
where os is the operating system folder - for example, Windows.

To create a custom sheet template, select the Templates folder, which is
usually
C:\os\Profiles\user_name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates
where os is the operating system folder - for example, Windows.

5.. In the File name box, type sheet to create a template for default
worksheets.
To create a custom sheet template, type any valid file name.

6.. Click Save, and then click Close on the File menu.Doug,
That's a good thought, but it doesn't explain what I see, since the copy
comes out clean if I select quot;Match Destination Formattingquot; in the Paste
Options pulldown. I'm also familiar with templates, and I have no sheet.xlt
(this is on my machine, and I've never set a sheet template). I know the
problem is linked to the source formatting somehow, but I don't understand
how. I can cleanly copy into the new workbook from several other files I've
tried, even after the strange copy from my original workbook. After the
first copy/paste from the quot;troublequot; file, all copies from that file show up
this way, but no copy/paste from any other file I've tried does this, and
sequence of doing these copies has no effect.

Obviously, fixing this is nothing more than a nuisance, but I wish I knew
the cause.


quot;Alquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; Doug,
gt; That's a good thought, but it doesn't explain what I see, since the copy
gt; comes out clean if I select quot;Match Destination Formattingquot; in the Paste
gt; Options pulldown. I'm also familiar with templates, and I have no
gt; sheet.xlt
gt; (this is on my machine, and I've never set a sheet template). I know the
gt; problem is linked to the source formatting somehow, but I don't understand
gt; how. I can cleanly copy into the new workbook from several other files
gt; I've
gt; tried, even after the strange copy from my original workbook. After the
gt; first copy/paste from the quot;troublequot; file, all copies from that file show
gt; up
gt; this way, but no copy/paste from any other file I've tried does this, and
gt; sequence of doing these copies has no effect.
gt;
gt; Obviously, fixing this is nothing more than a nuisance, but I wish I knew
gt; the cause.

This is interesting. When I first tried what you've described, I only did it
with the first line of data, and it worked fine. Then, I closed the new
workbook amp; opened a fresh one. I selected a range in your sheet from B5
through P98, copied amp; pasted it, and it came out black. I closed the new
sheet, opened another, repeated the process, and it came out normal. I'm
stumped.

If this sheet were mine, I'd recreate it from scratch, copy the data over
using Paste Special, Values, and see what happens.
As a practical matter, I copied every worksheet to a new workbook and matched
the destination format so it doesn't do this any more. For the record, I
tried many other ways to get there, with the following results.
1. Copy original worksheet; Paste Special, Values, in new workbook. OK
2. Copy original and Paste Special, Values over itself; copy to new
workbook. NG
3. Insert new worksheet in original workbook, copy existing worksheet to
it;copy to new workbook. NG
4. Insert new worksheet in original workbook, copy and Paste Special,
Values to new worksheet; copy to new workbook. OK

I even considered that there might be something strange about the exact
Unicode character set used in this sheet, but changing it had no apparent
effect. My conclusion is that there is a hook in the individual worksheet,
but I have no idea what it might be.

With that, I will let it rest.

Thanks for your efforts and thoughts.


quot;Alquot; gt; wrote in message
...
gt; As a practical matter, I copied every worksheet to a new workbook and
gt; matched
gt; the destination format so it doesn't do this any more. For the record, I
gt; tried many other ways to get there, with the following results.
gt; 1. Copy original worksheet; Paste Special, Values, in new workbook. OK
gt; 2. Copy original and Paste Special, Values over itself; copy to new
gt; workbook. NG
gt; 3. Insert new worksheet in original workbook, copy existing worksheet to
gt; it;copy to new workbook. NG
gt; 4. Insert new worksheet in original workbook, copy and Paste Special,
gt; Values to new worksheet; copy to new workbook. OK
gt;
gt; I even considered that there might be something strange about the exact
gt; Unicode character set used in this sheet, but changing it had no apparent
gt; effect. My conclusion is that there is a hook in the individual
gt; worksheet,
gt; but I have no idea what it might be.
gt;
gt; With that, I will let it rest.
gt;
gt; Thanks for your efforts and thoughts.

I don't know about a hook, but there's a link to another sheet.


quot;Doug Kanterquot; wrote:

gt;
gt; quot;Alquot; gt; wrote in message
gt; ...
gt; gt; As a practical matter, I copied every worksheet to a new workbook and
gt; gt; matched
gt; gt; the destination format so it doesn't do this any more. For the record, I
gt; gt; tried many other ways to get there, with the following results.
gt; gt; 1. Copy original worksheet; Paste Special, Values, in new workbook. OK
gt; gt; 2. Copy original and Paste Special, Values over itself; copy to new
gt; gt; workbook. NG
gt; gt; 3. Insert new worksheet in original workbook, copy existing worksheet to
gt; gt; it;copy to new workbook. NG
gt; gt; 4. Insert new worksheet in original workbook, copy and Paste Special,
gt; gt; Values to new worksheet; copy to new workbook. OK
gt; gt;
gt; gt; I even considered that there might be something strange about the exact
gt; gt; Unicode character set used in this sheet, but changing it had no apparent
gt; gt; effect. My conclusion is that there is a hook in the individual
gt; gt; worksheet,
gt; gt; but I have no idea what it might be.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; With that, I will let it rest.
gt; gt;
gt; gt; Thanks for your efforts and thoughts.
gt;
gt; I don't know about a hook, but there's a link to another sheet.
gt;
gt;
gt;Links are on the second worksheet. You can delete that worksheet, but nothing changes.

Links are on the second worksheet. You can delete that entire worksheet, but
nothing changes.