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Columns are gone

  1. #1
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    Columns are gone

    Hi,

    I have worked with many versions of Excel, this is the first time I've experienced this issue - but it's happened twice now; I certainly want to stop it before the 3rd time!

    I'm newly using Excel 2010,. This spreadsheet is a work-in-progress, originally started in Excel 2007. I routinely hide and unhide columns depending on what I need to see, printing requirements, etc. It's likely that I had hidden some columns then saved the spreadsheet but I've done that many time without issue in the past. For the second time now though 4 of the columns are now completely gone. The lettering is correct (so no indication that they are still hidden), there is no info there. I was just doing a basic database, sums, etc but nothing fancy, no macros, nothing. It did include addresses that I mailmerged with Word, a few notes and dates, and other info columns.

    Any idea how this happened? I'm presuming the data is long gone.... I did check the "Inspect Document" results - nothing.

    An old post that is similar: http://www.excelforum.com/excel-gene...s-missing.html

    Thanks for any help/insight!

    Toni

  2. #2
    Forum Moderator AliGW's Avatar
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    Re: Columns are gone

    Hidden columns might have been overwritten when you did the mail merge. Hidden does not mean protected!
    Ali


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    Re: Columns are gone

    Thanks Ali,

    The missing columns likely wouldn't have been hidden at mail merge time though because the address columns are the ones that are missing.

    Didn't know that the mail merge might overwrite columns, though - or even exactly how that might happen? To the best of my understanding, the changes from the merging would be on the Word side?

    (I'm trying to get a grasp of the issue -- I've done similar things for years but this problem first appeared with 2010...)

  4. #4
    Forum Moderator AliGW's Avatar
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    Re: Columns are gone

    It would make it easier for those of us trying to help to see the file in question instead of having to guess.

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    Re: Columns are gone

    I thought of that but the info is confidential. I can disguise that, change names, etc but then it'll be a new save, not sure how helpful that'll be?

    Ideas?

    One other thing -- I had been doing the exact same things with the file using the 07 version, never had an issue. It's happened twice in the last 3 weeks with the 2010 version though.
    Last edited by ToniB; 05-27-2014 at 11:10 AM.

  6. #6
    Forum Moderator AliGW's Avatar
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    Re: Columns are gone

    Sorry - without a file, I can't help. Most files do contain confidential information, but many people provide example files with confidential information stripped out - why can't you?

  7. #7
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    Re: Columns are gone

    Unfortunately, it's not my data and there is an expectation of confidentiality. Identifying info is in the missing columns so it should be recoverable, it'd no longer be confidential.

    Thanks for your assistance! Much appreciated.

  8. #8
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    Re: Columns are gone

    Actually, thinking about what is missing, it likely has something to do with printing. The columns that have disappeared were hidden to print select columns.

  9. #9
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    Re: Columns are gone

    Impossible to say. All I can suggest is that you work through the processes step by step with a copy of the file and try to establish at what point the columns disappear. Sorry - can't be of any more help in the circumstances.

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