Shared workbook feature in Excel

[Accipiter22]

This could be a software issue, but I'm curious as to if other people have this problem:

I'm at work, on a network, where we frequently use shared work books. We have massive issues with data dissapearing, formatting not coming out, etc. Mind you, we aren't saving over each others work...in that case usually if two people make changes to a cell you get the dialogue box asking you which changes you which to accept. We don't have issues there. We have issues where I'll enter data, say on tab 1.....and other people will be working on other tabs for instace. I'll go to perhaps tab 5 and work for a few hours, making periodic saves. I'll go back to tab 1, which no one else will have touched, and chunks of my data will be gone, or formatting will be skewed etc.

My question then, is this a known issue, and how do we fix this? We're working on large projects, we need to use this function, and it wrecks our productivity.

 

[GeneValgene]

i'd recommend using a database instead, if at all possible.

spreadsheets aren't optimized for multiple users making simultaneous updates

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: GeneValgene
i'd recommend using a database instead, if at all possible.

spreadsheets aren't optimized for multiple users making simultaneous updates

unfortunately it's not possible, we're entering a lot of data, not just numbers, but text, graphs, charts, etc. I completely agree though, that when possible a database would be better

 

[PricklyPete]

Originally posted by: GeneValgene
i'd recommend using a database instead, if at all possible.

spreadsheets aren't optimized for multiple users making simultaneous updates

Couldn't have put it better myself. Spreadsheets are not meant for the kind of usage you are talking about.

 

[Specop 007]

I've never heard of data disappearing like that.
We had a problem os massive files sizes. We would have our spreadsheet and within a few weeks the size would be 50 or 60 meg. Keep in mind the amount of data hadnt change all that much from the beginning size of 2 or 3 meg. But never just lost data.

 

[GeneValgene]

maybe this is why?

The following things cannot be changed once a workbook is shared.


1) Cells (inserting, deleting or merging)


2) Charts (inserting or formatting)


3) Conditional Formats


4) Data Tables


5) Data Validation


6) Drawings and Shapes


7) Graphics and other Objects


8) Hyperlinks


9) Outlines


10) Pivot Tables or Pivot Table Reports


11) Protection


12) Record any Macros


13) Scenarios


14) Subtotals


15) Worksheets (inserting or deleting)

 

[Accipiter22]

it's not that gene....it's not an issue of what we can't change...it's that raw data is just dissapearing from cells...hmmm I did some searching and it appears a lot of other people have this issue

 

[Accipiter22]

Originally posted by: Specop 007
I've never heard of data disappearing like that.
We had a problem os massive files sizes. We would have our spreadsheet and within a few weeks the size would be 50 or 60 meg. Keep in mind the amount of data hadnt change all that much from the beginning size of 2 or 3 meg. But never just lost data.

p.s. that may be from change history being kept maybe....