Excel file opens blank (2003 SP3)

Topic

New Reply

One Excel file opens blank for a user. When print preview is selected the file contents display normally. When sent to me the file opened normally so I am trying to find something about the file or the user’s configuration to explain this. While poking around the client discovered if he opened an older version of the file side by side with the new file, he states both displayed the file contents normally.

I had the client use the built in Excel file repair but there was no difference.

Before we went through the “Systematic Troubleshooting”, since it is only one file, I thought I’d ask if anyone has seen this type of behavior in just one file?

-Jester

Reply | Quote

Replies

Has the user tested whether the problem persists after restarting the PC?

Reply | Quote

Yes.

-Jester

Reply | Quote

This type of problem is very difficult to investigate. I’d let the user try Jan Karel Pieterse’s Systematic Approach to Behavioral Problems in XL anyway. Even if it doesn’t solve the problem, it’ll rule out some possible causes.

Reply | Quote

What happens if he/she does Window, arrange, tiled?

Might be the file was saved on a dual screen setup with the file window showing on the second monitor?

Reply | Quote

Bingo!

Though off for the strangest of US holidays, Columbus Day, I emailed the fellow who was dealing with this issue and although he had recreated the file based upon the previous version he replied that, “Yes”, he does have a dual monitor configuration and when the windows were arranged as suggested he was happy as a clam. He even said he’d pay more attention to the dual monitor impact if ever this type of scenario appeared in Excel or other apps.

Thanks for the detective work!!

-Jester

Reply | Quote

Excellent, I love a solved mystery!

Reply | Quote