Excel Sort Problem

[voisey]

Hi Guys & Gals - I have what I consider to be a weird problem in Excel. A spreadsheet containing 292 rows and extending to column "Q" has details of clients e.g. reference number, co. name, address etc - just basic stuff. However when I try to sort it nothing happens. I select the data I need to sort - in this case all of it by highlighting it. Then from the toolbar I select Data, Sort and enter the column I need the data to be sorted on, click header row as appropriate and click OK. But then nothing happens, the data remains in exactly the same order - its as if the sort function has been removed. This does not happen with other spreadsheets, I've checked the Tools, Options but nothing seems amiss - anyway anything in options would effect all spreadsheets would it not.

Am I missing something (mentally and application wise!!)

Any ideas as to what is happening to this particular spreadsheet.

Help or any useful comments very much appreciated.

Voisey

 

[voisey]

Hi Guys & Gals

Since posting this 'problem' I've had another look at my spreadsheet. Nothing wrong with it, but this time I selected the data from bottom right to top left i.e. I went to last column "Q" and bottom row and selected from there. This time the sort worked. I'm wondering whether the fact that column "A" had very few entries in it confused Excel - but then I did tell it which column to sort on.

Any comments or observations you have on this peculiar (to me) problem still appreciated.

Thanks

Voisey

 

[Fenrirshowl]

Did the column selected consist of functions? I've found excel won't sort function results, only inputted data - the easiest way around it is to copy and pastespecial values in the next free column and sort based on that.

 

[voisey]

The columns only consisted of input data, no functions or formula at all.

I seem to have got around it by selecting the data in a different manner i.e. bottom right to top left, but why that should make a difference goodness knows. Thanks for response anyway

Cheers

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

It's a bad practice to select a column in order to sort a table. Later versions of Excel pop up a box to ask if you want to expand the selection to the table or ONLY SORT THE COLUMN. You could end up sorting ONLY that column of data leaving the remainder of the table behind.

Better to select a CELL in the column you want to sort (presumably using one of the Toolbar Sort Icons)

Skip,

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