www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

I have been using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets for the last 10 years for doing my accounts. Today I just went to open a spreadsheet that has three months worth's of accounts on it and there is a major problem with it!

For some reason 98% of the spreadsheet is now in what looks like Chinese writing.
I have attached a couple of screenshots. I'm not going to be happy if I have to input all of that data again

Hi Chez,

What version of Office are you using?

All versions have some form of corruption recovery built in that should try automagically on open - but you can make it happen yourself.

This is for 2003: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/820741

I see there are also quite a few utilities that claim to restore the data. I've never used any, so you mileage may vary, but this offers a free viewer before purchase: http://www.excelfix.com/download.shtml

No backups?

I don't think I could live without my HomeServer - it's all automatic everyday! I've put one in two buisneses as a set and forget solution and it's amazing.

BG

Thanks BG,

I'll take a look later as I am off out now.

I do not have a backup, but I just right clicked on it and opened it in word and it is not in Chinese

I seem to be using a version of excel from 2002

If you need to run any tools against the file take a copy of the corrupt file as a backup. That way you've got something to go back to if you make things worse.

Thanks for the replies.

I checked out the microsoft help page but could not find a solution. The software that claims it can fix the problem is £199 (they are having a laugh )

I can continue to add to the spreadsheet in word, so I do not need the original excel spreadsheet to work in excel. Bit of a strang fault though when it has only effected the one spreadsheet as all the rest open OK

If the spreadsheet was corrupt you would expect the problem to still be there in word

Anyway thanks for the help

If you're going to continue to work from Word, do a Save As new document. You'll then have a fresh file, hopefully with no corruption carried over. I'd also setup some sort of backup while you're at it!

Just had a thought. What OS are you using? Windows 7 can create automatic backups of files. I can't remember if Vista does this too. Right click on the folder or file and see if you have a "Previous Versions" tab. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... -questions

Thanks Rich,

I am on windows 7 and so I can right click and restore to a previously saved file, but it misses off the last few entries that I have added.

I don't use excel for any formulas, it is merely to keep records and so I'll just use MS word from now on

Every now and again I think about backups but backing up the whole PC would take for ever as there is over 1TB on it (and it's raid 0 configuration)

When I get some time I'll do a full backup, wipe the hard drives and install a SSD then use the two hard drives for storage

Best cash you will spend in a LONG time.

I've got a 128GB SSD as my boot/apps driver and a couple of drives in a RAID set for working space (work rubbish). I think it outperforms just about any upgrade I've EVER done on a computer.

A guy I work with in the US wanted to cut our testing time for an application we work on, so I suggested:

Core i7
16GB DDR3 RAM
SATA III Raid controller
4 x 120GB SATA III discs in a RAID 0 array

Other storage is kept on a NAS.

O. M .G.

It goes like no machine I've ever had the pleasure of watching - it took some of our build tests from 45 minutes to around 12. Crazy.

BG

How many computers you got in the house chez?

I have my main computer which I am typing on now, then Angies old desktop.

She has a netbook and I have a 17 inch dual core laptop, but I don't use it much as it is on vista.

I also have an Alienware core I7 MX12 which is pretty fast.

so to answer your question 5 lol

ultimatehandyman wrote: to answer your question 5

!

Perhaps you've been hacked by Dim Sum at the local takeaway

Perhaps you should consider a homeserver with the amount of machines you have.

It would provide the following things (plus TONS more)

- centralised backup
- 'smart' backup that makes good use of space. Backup 1 Windows 7 PC and it might take 5GB space, backup Windows 7 PC 2 and it might only take an ADDITIONAL 20MB of space - it only usese the difference
- Backup is automatic and very quick
- works over wireless (although first backup should be done wired to router)

- Centralised file sharing
- keep all your documents, music, videos here
- makes changing computesr easy

- Music
- I keep all my music and can stream it to various players around the house

- remote access
- forgot a file and away from home? Log into the server (free domain) and access your files


There is an awesome server here with 100 quid cash back: http://www.serversplus.com/hp_proliant_microserver - all you need is the operating system (Windows Home sErver 2011 - 30 quid) and the driver for your storage (comes with 250GB boot drive).

You will never look back and blows the socks off those crappy NAS boxes.

For the advanced folk, you can remote desktop to the server and use it like a normal server for additional services, etc.

BG

We might have 5 machines but they are all on different operating systems and I normally only use this one.

This machine is Windows 7 Professional
Angies notebook is on Windows XP
My large laptop is on Windows Vista
Alienware is on Windows 7 home
The old Desktop is on XP Pro

But after reading your post on SSD's I just decided to buy a 500gb SSD for this machine

I just need to remove about 900GB to a backup hard drive before cloning to the new SSD when it arrives