Data validation arrow does not show automatically - excel

The arrow box next to all data validation fields in my xlsm file does not show automatically when clicking in the validation cell. It shows up quickly and disappears immediately. When clicking where the arrow box is supposed to be, the data validation options show up as usually and now the arrow box shows up permanently until I select and option.
Any hints how to solve this? Thanks!
Check similar unsolved problem
File>Options>Advanced>For objects, show: ALL is enabled (and doesn't change anything)
open & repair didn't solve the issue either
PD: I use VBA a lot in this workbook but none should access the dropdowns.
EDIT: I imported a sheet from a different workbook where the arrow is displayed normally and the same issue occurs.
EDIT2: On some worksheets the issue does not occur. By creating a new data validation field on such a sheet and going back to a corrupted sheet, the arrow box shows up perfectly...

I found out that this issue is only related to the speed of the Excel Sheet itself.
I had various linked pictures in the workbook that made it very slow, resulting as well in the data validation arrow issue.
Removing the linked pictures would improve the performance and resolve the issue.
(Previously I had a workaround that seemed to work sometimes: I could solve the issue by creating a macro in "ThisWorkbook" that goes on two sheets and selects the fields with data validation activated:
Sheet("1").Range("DataValidation1").Select
Sheet("2").Range("DataValidation2").Select
Strange enough, this was sufficient to solve the problem. )

Related

activeX combo boxes

I have a complex workbook that has a number of ActiveX Combo boxes which I choose over form controls for their customization options. Inexplicably, ALL of the boxes stopped working this morning. Literally, one minute they worked and then stopped completely. I was not working on that sheet, but rather a different one. There is no code attached to the combo boxes. When in design mode, the properties box doesn't even come up. Developer>Properties opens the worksheet properties only. This problem is not associated with the workbook because older versions of the same sheet are acting the same way. However, the compiled version of the workbook works fine. This suggests corruption in Excel somehow, so I repaired Excel (Office 365). No difference.
I deleted the combo box and replaced it and it is ok now, but that's not good enough for me. I have many others to remove and replace, but why do I need to do this? There are 180 other boxes that this happened to in the past and I simply used Data Validation for because I could not have this happen. I distribute this workbook in a compiled version only, so if I was certain that this bizarre occurrence could not happened once its compiled, I will replace all of the boxes that don't work and replace all of the data validation boxes with activeX, and compile it immediately. But I like things to make sense. What the heck is going on?
An ActiveX combo box has it's code on the sheet module for the sheet it is in. So, it's not odd that looking for the properties of the combo box that the sheet module would pop up. When in design mode and you right click on the combo box a pop up menu should come up that allows you to click and see the box's code on the sheet module. Are you saying that all the code for the boxes vanished or you had never written it? How do they get populated? I apologize for commenting in the answer section but I don't have enough points yet to write in the comment section.
The fact that no one has answered this suggests that this is behavior that I am causing. My belief at this point is that there is code running in the background which suspends other activity. I have a pop up calendar that ends with a range selection. I believe that this is looping somehow.
I am going to replace the data validation boxes with more combo boxes throughout the sheet with the calendar code in mind.

Excel - Disabel ability to manually change sheets (but don't hide them)

Apologies if this is a really stupid question but I've not been able to find a solution.
I've got a main page on my Excel workbook with a number of filter options and some buttons linked to vba code. When clicking the button it takes you another tab with a load of data filtered appropritately. There is a button there that removes the filters and takes you back.
This all works fine but what I want to do is stop people being able to manually change sheets but clicking on the tabs at the bottom of the screen. So far the only method I've found is hiding them, but this obviously doesn't work as you then can't see that data.
You can disable the editing of the sheet tab names by turning them off on the excel options as mentioned in the comment above. The downside to this approach is the user won't be able to see what sheet they are on (which I find incredibly frustrating).
The better method in my mind is to set up an event listener for when the user changes the name of the tab. You can then send a pop up box that appears when the user attempts to change the tab name.

Data Validation Drop Down Box Arrow Disappearing

I have recently been having issues in one of my Excel sheets, I have created a data validation drop down box that refers to a list in an adjacent column (unhidden).
Until today when I clicked on the cell, the drop down arrow appeared but now it briefly flashes before disappearing again, if you click on the right of the cell it still lets you make the selection but other people will use this sheet so it's not really acceptable.
I have checked that the data validation 'In-cell drop down' box is ticked and I don't know where to go from there, has anyone else had this problem? (Google has not been very helpful).
Thank you
I had the same problem and found out that this issue was in my case only related to the speed of the Excel Sheet itself. I had various linked pictures in the workbook that made it very slow, resulting as well in the data validation arrow issue.
Removing the linked pictures would improve the performance and resolve the issue.
(Previously I could resolve it with a workaround by creating a macro in "ThisWorkbook" that goes on two sheets and selects the fields with data validation activated when the workbook is launched:
Sheet("1").Range("DataValidation1").Select
Sheet("2").Range("DataValidation2").Select
Strange enough, this was sufficient to solve the problem.)
I've never personally seen this but have you tried it on another computer or as another user on your computer? I think it just might be some temp files or cache from office that is causing this issue.

Excel Listbox in a Sheet with FreezePanes

I have an Listbox Multiselect ActiveX control in a Sheet with Freeze Panes. The problem is that when I try to select items the mouseover icon is the standard excel cross instead of the arrow. I know that this question was asked before, but I didn't find any answer.
Thank u in advanced for help
I tested, and I came up with a few interesting observations.
In the ribbon, go to the developer tab. Make sure that the Design
Mode is not on.
When I first froze panes on the sheet, the freeze line went through the listbox I created. This caused the behavior you are describing with the cross-hairs and being unable to select.
Then I moved the listbox. Still same problem. I tried clicking on various cells around the sheet and in the ribbon area, with no change in behavior.
When I clicked to another sheet and back again, it started working as expected. Normal pointer mouse. I could select multiple, and unselect as needed.
Based on what I've tried, it seems that making sure Design Mode is off, and clicking to another sheet and back again may fix the problem.

Excel Error: Removed Records: Sorting from /xl/worksheets/sheet10.xml part

I'm almost sure I will have to create a new excel file, but maybe at least here I get some ideas what was the source of the problem.
My excel file is constantly giving the following error:
Excel found unreadable content in 'filename.xlsm'. Do you want to recover the contents of this workbook? If you trust the source of this workbook, click Yes.
So I do. And the file opens as repaired showing:
Removed Records: Sorting from /xl/worksheets/sheet10.xml part.
The detail is that I don't even have a sheet10
Its a big excel file full of custom-objects. But I have no DB connections or autofilter so could not relate to AutoFilter Criteria Using Array (Error) - Too Large String? or xlsx error: "Removed Records: Named range from /xl/workbook.xml part" when tried to resolve errors.
Anyone has a clue what's going on?
tks in advance
try clearing the sort before saving down the workbook. When this happened to me I had my sheet references mixed up so the sort wasn't cleared
Sheets(yoursheetname).Sort.SortFields.Clear
I am afraid I cannot explain what is going on, but I had similar experience several times - always with XLSM file. In the latest case I learnt that Excel did not like the same range name used twice, when defined as Worksheet range name (we assumed it is safe to use it that way).
Our troubleshooting path is:
try to save file as XLSB (binary macro file) and either use XLSB file or save it back to XLSM
check file history (we always keep daily snapshots) and find when the problem firstly occurred; use previous version and port your changes
extract the code (via SVN code), create a new workbook and import the code back
Usually Step 1 solves the problem, but Step 3 never failed us.
Awesome,
This issue has been driving me crazy!
It seems that saving as the xlsb (binary) file PLUS adding the clearing of sort fields appears to have sorted out my issue.
I added the following code to the BeforeClose sub, it appears to clear the fields really quick, changes to my Dashboard and prompts for saving.
The xlsb file saved over a mb in file size and appears to load a little quicker!
Thanks for the pointers & support!
Private Sub Workbook_BeforeClose(Cancel As Boolean)
Dim Sht As Worksheet
' Clear all Sort Fields prior to Save & Exit
For Each Sht In Application.Worksheets
Sht.Sort.SortFields.Clear
Next Sht
aa1_Dashboard1.Select
aa1_Dashboard1.Activate
End Sub
I would like to add my own confirmation regarding clearing sort fields in your spreadsheet, as first suggested by Chris. I specifically had the error occur after I used column sorting in a VBA macro, so I deduced that the problem must be column/field-Sort related. It was.
Adding the line:
Sheets(yoursheetname).Sort.SortFields.Clear
after the sort command allowed the sorted columns to remain sorted (in my case), but cleared whatever was causing the
"Sorting from /xl/worksheets/sheet10.xml part." error when the file was next opened.
Many thanks for your support.
I don't know if this will help anyone but it's solved my problem. I had an excel sheet, nothing complex, just contacts, a much used file in Excel 2010 on Win7. Today I was using the 'filter' to select specific groups to email targeted content to. In the middle of selecting and copying to paste into Outlook, the document came up with a pop up as if I was installing something, then the 'installer' both of which I cancelled out of. The Document closed and then on trying to reopen, I was getting the error message. If I chose 'yes' to repair I was given just the subset of my filtered list, so about 40 of my 350 records, the rest lost. I googled and tried different things, including opening in Googledocs google sheets and nothing worked. I never 'saved' the repaired version as my old data wasn't in that. Just now, I right clicked on my document in explorer and chose "restore previous versions" and it brought me to the version of yesterday - thankfully, nothing added to it since then. Opened that one and bingo, it opened fine with ALL the data in it. I know the filter had corrupted it, so will be cautious next time I use it. I don't know why it doesn't like the filter but 4 hours on, i can now calm down and relax! Hope this helps someone.
was having this issue as well. I have a spreadsheet with multiple tabs (maybe 30 tabs?) and had filters on each sheet, and shared on SharedPoint. The error was not enabling editing of the file on SharePoint. I removed the filters on every sheet and uploaded back to SharePoint and the issue is gone!
I did what Chris mentioned above. Clear the sort fields in your spreadsheet.
Sheets(yoursheetname).Sort.SortFields.Clear
Also, save the file as *.xlsb.
That should get it to work.
When you get a message telling that Excel found unreadable.... just click "Open" and then close all the following messages you get.
-In the VBE open the project showing the name of Addin or the .xlsm.. the click anywhere in any module of the workbook as you are going to edit the text of the macro, then click save, select workbook type like Addin select the folder where you want to save it, give it a new name then click "Save", that is all you have to do, the new file you created will ok.

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