Excel 2008 : New Window Causes Hidden Gridlines to Reappear

I have built a excel workbook tool that does a mathematical analysis of a users data that they enter into one of the tabs. Once the data is entered the other tabs in the workbook show the users tables and charts of what their data looks like. In order to display these tables and charts the best, the tool has all Headings and Gridlines turned off and then all the tabs are protected to prevent inadvertent changes to these result tabs. One of the features of this tool is that you can display both the input tab at the same time as one of the result tabs and watch the result change when you make a change to the input data. To do this you simply open a New Window and arrangement on your screen to see both the data entry and the resultant chart or table.

When you do this the new Window magically have the Headings and Gridlines reappearing on all tabs even though they are turned off and protected. Since all the tabs are protected the user has no ability to turn them off again as that menu item is blocked from use with a protected sheet. If the user closes the tab that does not have the Headings and Gridlines showing first the workbook will have all the Headings and Gridlines turned back on permanently with no way of turning them off.

To show how this happens you simply create a new workbook. Turn off the Headings and Gridlines. Protect the sheet. Then under the Window Menu select New Window so you have 2 windows of the same workbook open. The new window will have the Headings and Gridlines turned back on. If you close the first window without the Headings and Gridlines showing you are now stuck with a work book that will have all the gridlines and headings turn back on even though it is protect. If you look at the Formatting Palette under Page Setup / Sheet you will see the Headings and Gridlines view boxes now checked, but you cannot uncheck them on a protected sheet.

This may be a bug or a simple setting problem. Does anyone have a solution or work around other than giving the user the Protected sheet password?