# Solved: Excel 2007 formula vanishes



## Bianca.meldoy (Feb 21, 2009)

I have a user who does know how to work with office. (Sorry to start out defending her, but when you hear the issue you will understand why) She saved a workbook with formula's in it. When she opened up her spreadsheet the formula was gone, but the values were there. It wasn't a special 2007 formula, she didn't save it at a lower office version, and it was on her computer not the network; so no one could have opened it and made any changes. It is a protected sheet, the formulas are not hidden, and she isn't a veg head so she didn't copy and paste over her formulas with the values only. Now, she is not the only one in her department to have this happen to her. Her boss had the same issue about a month ago. Both are intelligent people who do know how to save files. But to be safe I did look for any txt files, csv files or even any files in the user temp folder to see if they might have been in there instead of the My Document folder.  

So here are my questions for you all. Is there some key combination that she/ they might have hit to do this? Has anyone else experienced this issue? Please don't point fingers at the user. I know people can and do make mistakes, but I don't think that is the case this time. I really wish it was then I could mark it closed and go about my merry little way. Thanks in advance for any and all input everyone!


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## The Villan (Feb 20, 2006)

Can you upload one of the files that seems to have this problem(excluding confidential info).

Can I just check one thing with you, and its a very basic question, but could be very valid, as I have experienced it with users before.

When you say that the formulas have disapeared and you only have the values now. Are they/you looking for the formula in the cell?
Why do I ask that? Well you only see the result of the formula in the cell and the formula can be seen in the formula bar at the top of the spreadsheet.

I am assuming the answer is that you know that and that is not the answer, but hey, as I said before, I have had that issue before with users.


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## pipefitter1 (Feb 23, 2009)

Hi If your spread sheet is password protected enter your password to unprotect your spread sheet and then right click anywhere in the sheet and select Format Cells from the pop up that will appear, when the custom list appears click on protection on the tabs at the top and de-select the box next to hidden.This will allow your formula to be displayed even when your password is active.


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## The Villan (Feb 20, 2006)

Beat me to that pipefitter 
I was in the process of posting that and spilt a drink over my laptop. Fortunately I managed to take action quickly and let the m/c dry out.
With great relief, my laptop is still in love with me and purring along happily.


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## Bianca.meldoy (Feb 21, 2009)

Sorry for taking so long to answer. Thank you Villan and pipefitter1 for your answers. 
I did verify the formula was gone by changing some of the data and pressing F9. nothing updated. The sheet was not password protected, and even if it was the hidden was not checked. (Looked at both of these first. My apologies for not saying that.) But you did get me to thinking. I watched her enter a formula, and she used the little helpful shortcuts that 2007 offers you (spelling out average for you instead of you typing it out) then she would save the file and poof! No formula but the values would be there. The one thing I did not think to do...was to see what the file was being saved as. I did make sure it was not a txt or csv file..but I did not think to look at what version it was saving itself as. It was saving itself as a 9x to 2003 excel file. And all those little helpful shortcuts in 2007? Disappeared every time. Sum formulas and Average formulas both. I saved it as a 2007 document and now it will save the formulas. Bizarre.

Thank you for your help in this..and Villan, I do hope your laptop keeps on purring for you


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## The Villan (Feb 20, 2006)

Not bizarre.
It has always been the case, that if you save a file as a previous version of Excel, then it cannot save anything that is new to the current version.
Anyway, well spotted about saving.
Can you mark the thread as Solved please.


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## The Villan (Feb 20, 2006)

Oh yes its still purring LOL


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## Bianca.meldoy (Feb 21, 2009)

The Villan said:


> Oh yes its still purring LOL


Glad to hear it


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