Excel Filtering Lockups

E

Excelwonderer

Ever since upgrading to Windows 2000 and then later to XP, Excel filters lock
up after a few uses. You would then have to remove filters and start again.
I have done this for many years on HUGE spreadsheets with no problem, but
started having this problem a couple of years ago. Very bothersome! Can
anyone help?
 
K

Ken Wright

Was thinking it might be related to a bloated toolbar customisation file
which plagued many an Excel 2000 user, but not that then. :-(
 
E

Excelwonderer

After my original post I realized that MANY people are complaining about the
same thing using different words. But there has not been a solution besides
remove autofilters and replace them. Yes, that's fine, but I work with
filters all day and I hate having to do that 10 times a half hour. It is
very bothersome! Is this a "bug" in Excel 2002 and 2003 and Microsoft just
isn't accepting it yet? At least I would feel better knowing there will be a
fix in later versions of Excel rather than ignoring that there is a problem.
 
D

Dave Peterson

What does Lock up mean?

Maybe by turning calculation off, it would speed things up. (just for testing?)
 
E

Excelwonderer

Lock up means sticking, jamming, not working... Let's say you are filtering
information. After using the filters a few times it stops working. No
matter what you do (unless you remove autofilter and reapply it) you cannot
get it to begin working again. It has nothing to do with the calculations
and it is not just slow - it completely stops working. I have used the same
spreadsheet for five years and once we upgraded to Excel 2002 we started
having the problem. It doesn't just happen on my system, and it doesn't just
happen on this particular spreadsheet. Any Excel spreadsheet on any one of
the 12 systems in our office suite has this problem.
 
D

Dave Peterson

The only time I've seen autofilter buttons not work is when I've done bad stuff
to the hidden names that excel uses to keep track of the autofilter range.

But in a separate thread, I think you said that you don't/didn't do that.
 
E

Excelwonderer

No, I have not done that. I am not that savvy a user. I'm just doing basic
Excel techniques. Does anyone from MicroSoft answer these threads to help
out or gear me towards the right direction? No offense, but I would like
resolve this issue.
 
D

Dave Peterson

No offense taken.

MS employees show up here very infrequently. I wouldn't rely on getting an
answer from them in the newsgroups.


No, I have not done that. I am not that savvy a user. I'm just doing basic
Excel techniques. Does anyone from MicroSoft answer these threads to help
out or gear me towards the right direction? No offense, but I would like
resolve this issue.
Click to expand...
 
K

Ken Wright

I don't recall having come across a thread in here before that would tie to
what you are describing. I certainly wouldn't profess to have read them
all, but I have tried Googling your question, and searching the MS
Knowledgebase and am struggling to find the same problem documented
elsewhere (Still doesn't mean it's not there though). Given the lack of
responses from anyone else I would say that both Dave and myself are not
alone in that, as had any of the other regulars come across this then they
would have shouted by now.

If you manage to come up with an issue that the combined experience of the
group regulars has not come across before then you are pretty unlucky indeed
:-(
 
E

Excelwonderer

Thanks guys for your help. Can either of you direct me to where I can get
help directly from Microsoft? What's my best venue? Thanks!
 
S

SkyDiver

Hi,

My filters now appear to be working. I think it was tied to a WinXP
Update. To others who have experienced this problem: Have you
noticed a change?

I haven't put it under SERIOUS strain yet, but everything does seem to
work. If you've had this problem, please let me know if it is now
fixed.

Thanks,
SkyDiver
 
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