Excel asks to save changes, even when changes have not been made.

[dynamike]

Hi there. I have a question I hope I can get answered. Everytime I open and close an excel document, I am asked if I want to save changes, even if I made no changes. I can open the document via windows explorer, and immediately close using the X at the top right, and am still asked if I would like to save "the changes" I made. How do I set excel up so that it only asks about saving changes, after actual changes have been made?

Thanks
-Mike

[gmr4evr1]

I assume these are existing excel documents you are opening. Is there any formulas in the cells that automatically apply todays date, or some sort of numbering or page# cell?

[dynamike]

Yes there are... On almost all our excel documents actually. So that would cause it I assume, is there a way to tell it to ignore that without losing the date/time function?

[gmr4evr1]

Yes, that would cause it since some functions will automatically change as soon as the workbook is opened. There is no work around that I am aware of, but, that doesn't mean there isn't a way around it other then clicking cancel each time.

[FDibbins]

Great catch, gmr4evr1!!

If your workbook/s contain any volatile functions, such as TODAY(), these will update when you openthe WB - and therefor excel will ask if you want to save the "changes"

To see more on volatile functions, check this out...
http://www.decisionmodels.com/calcsecretsi.htm

[dynamike]

Well, that is disappointing, but thank you very much for you help.

[dynamike]

Is there a way to tell those time/date cells to only update when they are clicked on? Or maybe a prompt window shows up? We use time/date for out quotes that we send to customers, and that means that if I open a quote from 2011, it all of a sudden changes the date to todays date, and if I am not careful I might accidentally save those changes.

[FDibbins]

Well, that is disappointing, but thank you very much for you help.

Actually, excel is doing exactly what is supposed to do. Think of it this way...
You have some formulas in your file that are dependant on today's date to run certain calc's. Those calcs may be used in another workbook, but if the updated info is not saved, the other WB will be using out-dates info.
You opened your WB, didnt do a thing, then closed it - had excel not asked you to save, you would have had to sve it manually., then closed it (or worse yet, forgotten to save?)

[dynamike]

Actually, excel is doing exactly what is supposed to do. Think of it this way...
You have some formulas in your file that are dependant on today's date to run certain calc's. Those calcs may be used in another workbook, but if the updated info is not saved, the other WB will be using out-dates info.
You opened your WB, didnt do a thing, then closed it - had excel not asked you to save, you would have had to sve it manually., then closed it (or worse yet, forgotten to save?)

I totally understand that it's just a program, and it's just doing its job, but still, it's a shame that there's no way around it. Or is there? Is there a way to tell those cells "only update after other criteria has been met?" Maybe manually clicking the cell to update?

[FDibbins]

Is there a way to tell those time/date cells to only update when they are clicked on? Or maybe a prompt window shows up? We use time/date for out quotes that we send to customers, and that means that if I open a quote from 2011, it all of a sudden changes the date to todays date, and if I am not careful I might accidentally save those changes.

For something like that, perhaps the best way yould be to convert those old DATE/TIME functions to their respective values? Even when set to manual, excel recalcs on open and close (unless you dont save)

[gmr4evr1]

Great catch, gmr4evr1!!

If your workbook/s contain any volatile functions, such as TODAY(), these will update when you openthe WB - and therefor excel will ask if you want to save the "changes"

To see more on volatile functions, check this out...
http://www.decisionmodels.com/calcsecretsi.htm

Thank you for the comment FDibbins. I had this happen to me before on a template that I created no less. That is probably the main reason I had some idea of what was going on.