"File error: data may have been lost."

[DominikHoffmann]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

It appears that this problem didn't exist before I applied the 12.0.1 update.

When I now open certain spreadsheets created with Excel 2004 I receive an alert saying "File error: data may have been lost." What these spreadsheets have in common is that they have a number of merged cells, all in the same row, which contain a hyperlink. When I dismiss the alert and then select that merged group of cells and do chose Insert->Hyperlink..., the "Link to" field of the dialog is blank and the "Display" field says "[multiple cells selected]".

This is not the expected behavior. The "Link to" field should contain a URL, and the "Display" field should contain the text shown in said merged group of cells.

Where can I report this as a bug?

Dominik Hoffmann

 

[Hilena Hailu [MSFT]]

Thanks for reporting, Dominik! We'll investigate this issue.

--
Hilena Hailu
Macintosh Business Unit
Microsoft Corp.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[chris.lindloff]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: intel

It appears that this problem didn't exist before I applied the 12.0.1 update.

When I now open certain spreadsheets created with Excel 2004 I receive an alert saying "File error: data may have been lost." What these spreadsheets have in common is that they have a number of merged cells, all in the same row, which contain a hyperlink. When I dismiss the alert and then select thatmerged group of cells and do chose Insert->Hyperlink..., the "Link to" field of the dialog is blank and the "Display" field says "[multiple cells selected]".

This is not the expected behavior. The "Link to" field should contain a URL, and the "Display" field should contain the text shown in said merged group of cells.

Where can I report this as a bug?

Dominik Hoffmann

I have the same problem. Any spreasheet that I have URL's in causes
this problem. CRAZY!!!!

 

[jeff Sun]

Absolutely same problem. Good to hear that it's due to URLs in the spreadsheets, so now I know what to avoid. BUT until this is fixed, I have to open all existing Excel worksheets in Numbers (iWork 08) just to avoid crashing Excel.

Once I get this error, I have no choice but to Force Quit excel.

The problem only materialized with the 12.0.1 update.

Did nobody test this stuff before it went out???????

 

[ctyoung]

I had a similar problem. Any spreadsheet I saved with a "list" range would
open with the "File error: data may have been lost" message several times.
Seemed to be the same number of times I had a "list" in my spreadsheet.
While the data appeared to be there, the list functionality was removed.
Therefore I could not trust the spreadsheet anymore.

I took the spreadsheet to a different computer, and repeated the steps, it
could not be duplicated. But they still get the same error if I brought them
my newly saved sheet. Therefore it appeared the spreadsheet was indeed
corrupt when saved by my excel.

I removed all microsoft excel / office / IE updates that occurred around or
after the date at which I noticed this. Never helped until I noticed I
missed one. I removed "Excel security update installed on 3/12/2008" and the
problem went away. This may not fix an existing spreadsheet saved with this
problem, but does appear to stop my excel from creating the problem again.
Don't know what the update number was, hope this helps.

Now I'll probably only install one update at a time, and see if the problem
reoccurs.

Todd

 

[ctyoung]

Forgot to add my OS is Windows XP, and I was using Office 2003, intel machine

 

[Adagioblue]

Count me in as another with the Lost Data message.

The 12.0.1 update to Office 2008 wiped out all the hyperlinks in my Excel spreadsheets. To verify, I have taken a copy of a proven good document, full of hyperlinks, opened it in the 12.0.1 updated version of Excel 2008, and immediately, all hyperlinks are gone. These were made with Office 2004 and used successfully with Office 2008 until this update.

I still have Office 2004 on a second HD. I can take a file that 2008 has stripped, open it in 2004 and re-enter a link, go back and open in 2008 and it will give the error message and open with the link stripped again.

I have no experience with this, but have read complaints that it does the same with embedded .jpg files.

If, on opening a doc with the 12.0.1 version, you get a message that says: "File error: data may have been lost.", everything may look Ok at first glance, but if you have anything other than text, look closer and I'll bet that you will find something missing.

Other than being slower that molasses, the original install of Office 2008, including updates up to 12.0.1, worked fine for me. I had none of the reported problems installing the 12.0.1 update, but also saw no benefit after installation, including speed-wise. The update was installed via stand alone updater, not auto update.

Mac G4 Dual 1.25GHz, Leopard 10.5.2, Home computer - only user.
I've been using Apple/Mac computers since 1980.

 

[blumail]

Same problem here,
if i press enter on the error message the file opens, but all the URLs
are lost

Count me in as another with the Lost Data message.

The 12.0.1 update to Office 2008 wiped out all the hyperlinks in my Excel spreadsheets. To verify, I have taken a copy of a proven good document, fullof hyperlinks, opened it in the 12.0.1 updated version of Excel 2008, and immediately, all hyperlinks are gone. These were made with Office 2004 and used successfully with Office 2008 until this update.

I still have Office 2004 on a second HD. I can take a file that 2008 has stripped, open it in 2004 and re-enter a link, go back and open in 2008 and it will give the error message and open with the link stripped again.

I have no experience with this, but have read complaints that it does the same with embedded .jpg files.

If, on opening a doc with the 12.0.1 version, you get a message that says:"File error: data may have been lost.", everything may look Ok at first glance, but if you have anything other than text, look closer and I'll bet thatyou will find something missing.

Other than being slower that molasses, the original install of Office 2008, including updates up to 12.0.1, worked fine for me. I had none of the reported problems installing the 12.0.1 update, but also saw no benefit after installation, including speed-wise. The update was installed via stand alone updater, not auto update.

Mac G4 Dual 1.25GHz, Leopard 10.5.2, Home computer - only user.
I've been using Apple/Mac computers since 1980.

Thanks for reporting, Dominik! We'll investigate this issue.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

wrote in message
> Version: 2008
> Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
> Processor: intel
>
> It appears that this problem didn't exist before I applied the 12.0..1
> update.
>
> When I now open certain spreadsheets created with Excel 2004 I receive an
> alert saying "File error: data may have been lost." What these
> spreadsheets have in common is that they have a number of merged cells,
> all in the same row, which contain a hyperlink. When I dismiss the alert
> and then select that merged group of cells and do chose
> Insert->Hyperlink..., the "Link to" field of the dialog is blankand
> the "Display" field says "[multiple cells selected]".
>
> This is not the expected behavior. The "Link to" field should contain a
> URL, and the "Display" field should contain the text shown in said merged
> group of cells.
>
> Where can I report this as a bug?
>
> Dominik Hoffmann

 

[wimek]

I've got the same problem. Since I do not know what exactly is screwed up in such a file, I had no other option than switching back to Excel 2004. I really don't expect this from serious "business" software like Excel and hope Microsoft solves this issue real quick!

Thanks,
Wim

 

[Paul Randall]

Excel 12.0.1 not only removes hyperlinks, it also removes embedded graphics. :chagrin:

 

[CyberTaz]

The Hyperlink & email address appears to be a definite issue, but just in
case you hadn't determined it the link info isn't actually *lost* - If you
close without saving the links will still work when the file is opened in
2004. Unfortunately, saving or Save As in either format *does* result in a
file with dead links which only retain the formatting appearance.

I've not seen the issue with graphics - I've tried clipart, jpg & drawn
objects. All have been retained when opened in 2008.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac