XL: Selected Worksheet Not Saved to 4.0 Worksheet Format

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a

SYMPTOMS

When you save a file in Microsoft Excel to the Microsoft Excel 4.0 Worksheet format or to another format that saves the current worksheet only, the worksheet that is selected when you save the file may not be saved.

CAUSE

This behavior only occurs when the selected worksheet is not the first worksheet in the file, you close the file before saving it, and you save the file to a format that saves the current worksheet only. The problem does not occur when you save the file, and then close the file.

The problem occurs because when you choose Close from the File menu, or the document Control menu before saving the file, Microsoft Excel does not know which sheet is active. If you then save the file to a format that saves the current worksheet only, the first worksheet in the file is saved instead of the active worksheet.

WORKAROUNDS

To avoid saving the wrong worksheet when you save a file to a format that saves only the active worksheet, do either of the following:

• Save the file before you close it by choosing the Save button from the Standard toolbar, or by choosing Save from the File menu.

  -or-

• Move the worksheet that you want to save so that it is the first worksheet in the workbook before you close and save the file.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in a later version of Microsoft Excel.

In Microsoft Excel versions 5.0c and 7.0, this problem ONLY occurs if all of the following are true:

   - You have multiple files open

     -and-

   - The file that you save to a format that saves the active worksheet
     only is open in multiple windows.

     -and-

   - You hold down the SHIFT key and choose Close All from the
     File menu.

MORE INFORMATION

When you save a file to a format that saves the active worksheet only, you receive the following warning:

   Selected file type will save only the active sheet.

REFERENCES

For more information about File Formats (Windows), choose the Search button in Help and type:

    saving files in different formats