XL7: Shared File May Not Reflect Changes

ID: Q134919

7.00 WINDOWS kbnetwork

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, a shared file may not reflect the changes you expect when rows or columns of information are deleted by another user.

CAUSE

When you delete a row or column on a worksheet in a shared workbook, if another cell on the worksheet contains a reference to that row or column, the reference is lost. If another user has the file open when you delete the row or column, and if they choose to use their changes when they save the shared file, the deleted row or column may be added back to the file. However, if a cell on the shared worksheet contains a reference to the deleted row or column, the reference is not restored.

For example, if cell A2 on a shared worksheet contains a reference to cell A1 on the worksheet, cell A2 returns the #REF! error value when you delete row 1 on the worksheet. If another user has the file open when you delete row 1, they receive the Conflict Resolution dialog box when they save the file. If this user chooses to use the changes they made to the file, row 1 is not deleted on their instance of the shared worksheet, and the reference is not broken. However, cell A2 on your instance of the worksheet now contains =#REF! instead of the formula =A1 as expected.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

KBCategory: kbnetwork KBSubcategory: xlwin

Additional reference words: 7.00

Keywords          : xlwin 
Version           : 7.00
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: September 16, 1996