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BAB61
We use Excel spreadsheets to monitor the operation of some experimental pilot
plants. The spreadsheets are set up to bring in data from an Oracle database
once an hour.
The spreadsheets are usually large ones comprising several worksheets each,
and bring in data such as temperatures, pressures and analytical data from
gas chromatographs. This data is used to create graphs and is used in
formulas on other worksheets in the spreadsheet.
We have several computers set up in a control room, monitoring anywhere from
10-20 pilot plants at a time.
We have nine computers in this room, used to display the spreadsheets and
other applications. One of the computers is used for most of these
spreadsheets and is a Dell Optiplex 745 connected to a Dell 24 inch
wide-screen display. We have one instance of Excel open on this computer
with from five to ten different spreadsheets open at any one time.
Each spreadsheet runs a macro once an hour, that brings in the plant data
from the Oracle database and inserts those numbers into the spreadsheets.
The problem we're having is that several times a week, a grey area,
approximately six columns wide appears on the left side of the spreadsheet
that's maximized. No matter which spreadsheet we maximize, this bar or area
remains greyed out, covering the first few columns of data.
It appears at random times and the only way to get rid of it is to either
shut down and reboot the computer and reopen all the spreadsheets, or to open
a new instance of Excel, close the spreadsheets one at a time from the
problem instance of Excel, and then reopen them on the new instance of Excel.
We've had this problem for about three years now, and even changing out the
computer and the display for new ones, hasn't stopped it. It appears to be a
problem with Excel.
Is there a limit to the number of spreadsheets that can be open at any one
time?
The area that is greyed out seems to be the same area that would list the
recovered files that would show up if we had a power failure, and then, when
the power returns and we reboot the computer and restart Excel, it shows a
list of the files that were recovered from the time of the power failure.
I may not be explaining this all that clearly, but it's becoming a real
annoyance and I can't seem to find any answer to it searching on the internet
plants. The spreadsheets are set up to bring in data from an Oracle database
once an hour.
The spreadsheets are usually large ones comprising several worksheets each,
and bring in data such as temperatures, pressures and analytical data from
gas chromatographs. This data is used to create graphs and is used in
formulas on other worksheets in the spreadsheet.
We have several computers set up in a control room, monitoring anywhere from
10-20 pilot plants at a time.
We have nine computers in this room, used to display the spreadsheets and
other applications. One of the computers is used for most of these
spreadsheets and is a Dell Optiplex 745 connected to a Dell 24 inch
wide-screen display. We have one instance of Excel open on this computer
with from five to ten different spreadsheets open at any one time.
Each spreadsheet runs a macro once an hour, that brings in the plant data
from the Oracle database and inserts those numbers into the spreadsheets.
The problem we're having is that several times a week, a grey area,
approximately six columns wide appears on the left side of the spreadsheet
that's maximized. No matter which spreadsheet we maximize, this bar or area
remains greyed out, covering the first few columns of data.
It appears at random times and the only way to get rid of it is to either
shut down and reboot the computer and reopen all the spreadsheets, or to open
a new instance of Excel, close the spreadsheets one at a time from the
problem instance of Excel, and then reopen them on the new instance of Excel.
We've had this problem for about three years now, and even changing out the
computer and the display for new ones, hasn't stopped it. It appears to be a
problem with Excel.
Is there a limit to the number of spreadsheets that can be open at any one
time?
The area that is greyed out seems to be the same area that would list the
recovered files that would show up if we had a power failure, and then, when
the power returns and we reboot the computer and restart Excel, it shows a
list of the files that were recovered from the time of the power failure.
I may not be explaining this all that clearly, but it's becoming a real
annoyance and I can't seem to find any answer to it searching on the internet