Huge "empty" excel 97 file !!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Nick Fraser
  • Start date Start date
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Nick Fraser

I still have files of up to 4MB, after deleting the
contents of a 16MB excel 97 file then saving !!!

Details:-
(1)If I select the whole worksheet (by clicking on the
blank cell in the top left corner of the worksheet)
(2)then I click on EDIT and then on DELETE.
(3)repeat 1&2 for any other sheets
(4)Then click on FILE, then SAVE AS a new name
Windows explorer shows that the new file can be up to 4MB.

This is very frustrating if I am trying to reduce the size
a file so that it fits onto a floppy disc.
This problem occurs with a number of my excel files.
How can I get rid of this invisable "junk" ? and what
could be causing it?
 
Not sure if I really understand the problem, but,
Find the last used cell in the sheet eg HG826
In the name box, enter 827:65536
In the dark area, right click, Delete
Select column HH and scroll to cloumn IV
In the dark area, right click, Delete
Save, Exit and re-enter the file and see what size it is now,
Alan.
 
Not sure if I really understand the problem, but,
Find the last used cell in the sheet eg HG826
In the name box, enter 827:65536
In the dark area, right click, Delete
Select column HH and scroll to cloumn IV
In the dark area, right click, Delete
Save, Exit and re-enter the file and see what size it is now,
Alan.
 
repeat step 1

(2) click on Edit-->Clear-->All
if that doesn't work
(3) click on Insert-->Name-->define and delete any named
ranges.
if that doesn't work
(4) press F5-->click on special-->Objects and then hit
the delete key.
(5) File-->Print Area-->Clear Print Area
(6) Tools-->Macro and delete all macros

If this doesn't fix it, pour water on your computer. ;-)
 
If you type Ctl End to you find that it brings you far
below the area that is actually being used? When this
happens I find that if I go into VBA (Alt F11) and type
Activesheet.Usedrange in the immediate window (you may
need to go to View to make this visible) then hit enter
the end cell is reset to reflect the true end of the used
area. If this works you may want to use this macro to do
all your sheets.

Sub UsedRange()

For Each s In Worksheets
s.UsedRange
Next

End Sub
 
Can you delete the sheets that are empty?

Are you sure that there are not sheets that are hidden?

The sheets with data/formulas may have extra formatted
cells. If you hit ctrl-end, this goes to the last cell
thath has data / formatting. Is there data?
Highlight ALL the rows that don't have information and
delete them, then all the columns that don't have data and
delete them, then save and hit ctrl-end.

If your file is still too large for a floppy, what about a
CD? Or maybe its time to winzip it (you can find that on
the internet for free, if its not already on your machine)?
 
Debra Dalgleish has some techniques for resetting this last used cell at:

http://www.contextures.com/xlfaqApp.html#Unused

And just a word of warning--use that floppy disk for transportation only. Copy
it to a harddisk/LAN Drive before you open it.

(Files opened directly from the floppy have been known to get corrupted by
office programs (and probably other programs as well).)
 
Thanks very much.
With your 4th suggestion, I worked out what was going on.

If there is a chart in the worksheet and I perform my
steps (1) & (2), the charts dissappear but are NOT
deleted. They are still there with all the data
intact!!! , hence the file size problems I was having.

I'm not very impressed with Microsoft and their knowledge
base.
I'm sure lots people must have had this problem before!!
 
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