Move and Copy Pivot Table and Source Data

[Lance]

Using Windows XP Excel 2003, I want to move and copy a pivot table and its'
source data from it's original file into a new file. The issue is that once I
get it moved over, the pivot table still shows that it is linked to the
orginial source file. I have used the wizard and highlighted the new source
data but when I try to proceeed it tells me the pivot table name is not
valid. I have tried naming the source data through Insert>Name>Define but I
get the same message.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Lance

 

[Sean Timmons]

Well, there's two options. The long way is to just copy the sheet over and
re-create the pivot.

The easier one would be to right-click within the pivot table, go to Pivot
Table Wizard, hit the back button once, and adjust the range from there.

 

[Lance]

For some time now, I have been doing option #1 and thought option #2 would be
easy. I right click oin a cell in the pivot to bring up the wizard and hit
Back. Then I delete the range frok the original file and change it to the
range in the new file. It lets me click Next to get to step 3 in the wizard
where I tell it where I want to put the pivot table. At this step, it doesn't
matter what I try to do, I get the following message..."The Pivot Table field
name is not valid. To create a Pivot Table report, you must use data that is
organized as a list with labeled columns. If you are changing the name of a
Pivot Table field, you must type a new name for the field."
I have gotten this message before and had to make sure that all of my
columns were named. In this case, the pivot table worked fine in the original
file but there just doesn't seem to be a way to change the data range when
you move the pivot table and the data source into a new file.

 

[Sean Timmons]

Typically, this error appears when one of the columns in yoru data (including
any hidden columns) doesn't have a column name in row 1. do you have any such
issues?

 

[Lance]

No, there are no hidden columns and each column is named. As I stated in the
below post, I have gotten this error before and found the unnamed column(s)
and corrected the problem. In this case, the original pivot table never gave
me this error with the original source and the only thing I have done with
the source is moved and copied it into another workbook. However, I did go
back and verified that everything is labeled. So I am really not sure why I
am getting that error...unless that is the default error message with pivot
tables and you get that no matter what the error.