# Excel File Very Big



## CDC (Nov 23, 2003)

Hey...

I have an excel template that I am using and there are about 10 different sheets to the spreedsheet in total the size of the whole file is 882 kb. Now my problem is I am making changes to lets say sheet #3 and highlighting the whole sheet #3 rows and columns only on sheet #3 to a totally new spreedsheet and then saving it, but the file is still 882 kb, but if I copy and paste only the cells which means when I paste it in the new sheet I have to resize everything, the files is only 32 kb... Can you please tell me why that is... I am thinking is because of the formulas but not sure...


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

its probably the range you have touch 
if you delete any unused columns and rows - you will find the spreadsheet reduces

we found files over 3MB but be making sure only the data was selected it reduced the file

to give an example 

if you have say 123 in cell A1 
and save and note size

now go back to the spreadsheet and 
hold the control Key and the downarrow - so you go to the bottom of the spreadsheet row 65536 - and then click in that cell and select all columns and rows- add some data and delete

and then across the sheet 
hod the control key and right arrow and got to column IV and click in the cell and select all columns and rows add some data an delete

now save

and the file should be a lot bigger - at least it used a while back when i played around with excel - although i think 2003 may have solved this


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## exegete (Oct 26, 2005)

Also, if you have formulas, and transfer them, the entire file path will be part of the formula, which adds to the size.


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## CDC (Nov 23, 2003)

So is there any way to still transfer the formula's and stuff without the size being so big?


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## exegete (Oct 26, 2005)

If you are copying the formulas and data sources, then it will exactly reproduce the file, and hence the file size (give or take a little). Also, 882k is not a very big file. If you zip it and it becomes ~150k, you have a very reasonable file to send.

There are some other techniques to reduce file size, if you are interested.


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## The Villan (Feb 20, 2006)

If you select all the rows below the data in the original spreadsheet and delete them and do the same for the columns that shouldn't have data in. Then save the file, and close it.

Open the file up and the file should be back to normal.

Not sure of the correct information anymore as I am not teaching or involved with soreadsheets.
However it used to be that if you entered data in Cell A1 and cell A65536, Excel will allocate bytes for all the blank cells in between. It does this in blocks of cells going down a column. Not sure what that is these days. So your file can become massive if you are not careful.
If by accident you typed something in cell A65536 and then deleted it, excel still hangs onto the allocated bytes.
So the only way to make the file smaller is to do what I mentioned above.


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