multiple generation Excel workbook file size reduction

[Miles]

I have a workbook that has been updated each month for several years
and re-saved as the current month. For example in Feb-2007 the
Jan-2007 file was used, modified for Feb-2007 and then saved as
Feb-2007. In Mar-2007, the Feb-2007 file was used, modified for
Mar-2007 and then saved as Mar-2007. This was done for several years
and now the file which probably started out as 1MB is now 25+MB.

Is there anyway to clean this up to reduce the file size?

 

[Pete_UK]

How about separating out all the 2007 data and save that as
Archive_2007.xls, and similar for 2008 (in Jan 2009), so that each
year you start with a fresh workbook?

Alternatively, just keep, say, 6 months' of data in the workbook, so
that as you add a new month then you delete the data which is 7 months
old.

Hope this helps.

Pete

 

[Miles]

How about separating out all the 2007 data and save that as
Archive_2007.xls, and similar for 2008 (in Jan 2009), so that each
year you start with a fresh workbook?

Alternatively, just keep, say, 6 months' of data in the workbook, so
that as you add a new month then you delete the data which is 7 months
old.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Thanks Pete for your help. But the data does not have dates.
Essentially the workbook is a price list with the same items from
month to month...the only thing that changes are the prices. The
damage has been done and the user that maintains this price list does
not have an original copy. I was hoping that there was a way to
"clean up" the file by removing hidden information, removing metadata,
etc. I kind of remember learning years ago that Excel keeps a log of
all of the changes made somewhere in the background of the file.

 

[Otto Moehrbach]

Miles
On each sheet of your file, do this:
Manually, by scrolling, find the last cell of the Used Range. Then do
Ctrl-End on the keyboard. The now active cell is what Excel is using as the
last cell of the Used Range. If those 2 cells are far apart, that is your
problem. If so, delete all the rows below YOUR last cell (not Excel's last
cell) and all the columns to the right. Excel will replace all the rows and
columns you delete with new blank rows and columns. Do this for each sheet.
Then save the file and close the file. Did the file size change? HTH Otto

 

[Charles Williams]

Maybe the workbook has Track Changes switched on?
If so just switch it off (Tools -->Track Changes) and Save the workbook.

regards
Charles
__________________________________________________
The Excel Calculation Site
http://www.decisionmodels.com

How about separating out all the 2007 data and save that as
Archive_2007.xls, and similar for 2008 (in Jan 2009), so that each
year you start with a fresh workbook?

Alternatively, just keep, say, 6 months' of data in the workbook, so
that as you add a new month then you delete the data which is 7 months
old.

Hope this helps.

Pete

Thanks Pete for your help. But the data does not have dates.
Essentially the workbook is a price list with the same items from
month to month...the only thing that changes are the prices. The
damage has been done and the user that maintains this price list does
not have an original copy. I was hoping that there was a way to
"clean up" the file by removing hidden information, removing metadata,
etc. I kind of remember learning years ago that Excel keeps a log of
all of the changes made somewhere in the background of the file.

 

[ShaneDevenshire]

Hi,

There could be a lot of data in the file you don't need, or formats, or
range names, or macros or track changes stuff or formulas or imbedded
graphics (bitmap pictures), links to external workbooks.

You can work on each of this but there is no quick fix.

For example you could convert all formulas that are no longer changing into
values. You could remove or compress graphics. You could take out any range
names, or macros you are no longer using. You could select all the rows
below you last row of data and choose Edit, Delete. Similarly for columns.
Formatting that is applied cell by cell takes more memory that formatting
that is applied to large ranges. You could remove any unnecessary Styles or
Charts.....

If any of this helps, please click the Yes button.