Wierd Data sorting

[Cathy b.]

I have a spreadsheet with 12 columns. I'd like to sort on any one of those
columns at one time or another. However, when I "Sort Data" on a column (it
doesn't matter which column) All of the columns are resized to about 2 words
across. Since I have word wrap on and one of my columns contains a 50 - 75
word comment, the record is stretched out vertically to accomodate the text.
I think this has just started recently but I'm not real sure. I haven't' use
Excel in a month or so but I don't think it was happening the last time I
did.

I don't know what version of Excel I am using because I can't find it in the
new GUI - it is obviously one of the latest releases because the GUI is
entirely different than the one I've used for years and years.

 

[~L]

Sounds like you have 2007 and 'the ribbon'.

Some ideas that come to mind are:

Do you have 'Shrink to fit' on? If so, try turning it off. This can be
found in the cell format menu in the same place you turn on word wrap (I get
there using ctrl+1).

Or

Instead of using the normal sort, try applying autofilter and using sort
through the dropdown arrows that appear on the column header cells. There is
a difference in sort behaviors between the two, even though the results are
the same.

Hope that's helpful.