MacXL: Files May Open with Missing Columns or with Gray Window and No Column Letters (288622)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac
  • Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q288622

SYMPTOMS

When you open a previously saved file, some or all of the column letters appear to be missing. If all column letters are missing, the area where cells usually appear is gray, although the rest of the workbook window appears as usual. This behavior may affect all sheets of the workbook.

CAUSE

The columns have become zero width, or "hidden."

NOTE: Although you may be concerned that data is lost, usually the data is still in the file, and the only loss is the size of custom column widths.

WORKAROUND

To reveal the hidden columns, follow these steps:
  1. In each affected worksheet in the workbook, press COMMAND+A to select the entire worksheet.
  2. On the Format menu, point to Column, and then click Unhide.

    The columns with zero width change back to their previous width. In some cases, all columns may change to a standard width (such as 10), and you must individually change the columns to the custom width that you want.
  3. If the Unhide command does not display the missing columns, point to Column on the Format menu, and then click Width. Change the Column width setting to some standard width, such as 10.
  4. After the column widths are restored, save the file.

Zero Font Size

This behavior seems to coincide with font sizes being changed to zero. This may occur even though you cannot manually change a font size to zero without receiving an error message.

If Excel reports font sizes of zero, follow these steps to minimize problems:
  1. Close any open files and do not save changes.
  2. If you made changes to the file and do not want to lose them, save the file with a new name, and close the file.

    The new file will contain your changes, but may have hidden columns. The original file contains the original column widths, but may be missing the other changes that you made. You can now use the original file to compare and adjust any custom column widths that are needed in the new file.
  3. Restart Excel and again check the files that were previously open but not saved.

    If the files seem normal and do not report font sizes of zero when you try to change a font or font format, you can work in Excel as usual, and correct any files that were saved with column width problems.

MORE INFORMATION

After the problem occurs, any workbook that you open in the same Excel session may have the same problem. Any file that you open and save may reopen with columns of zero width.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:9/11/2002
Keywords:kbprb KB288622
©2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.