Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? jico 26.09.2006 12:30:01 suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I cannot get the sort command and icon to be usable.

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? "Bob Umlas" <Excel_Trickster[ at ]msn.com> 26.09.2006 15:04:17 Is the worksheet protected? "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... [Quoted Text] > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I cannot > get the sort command and icon to be usable.

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? jico 28.09.2006 12:31:03 I don't know about "protecting" a worksheet. I did notice that "[Group]" appeared after the filename at the top of the window. I've been using the Microsoft Works spreadsheet for years and have just transitioned to using excel. These concepts didn't exist in Works. My file has 297 rows of information. The term"[Group]" appears after the filename in the title bar. Everything in the Data menu is shaded out. I can't sort, group(whatever that is), or anything else relating to the data menu. Excel Help says to select the group to ungroup, but I don't even know what a group is let alone how to find and select it! Excel Help gives me no clue of what to do. I have no idea how it got this way or how to restore the file to its previous condition. "Bob Umlas" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Is the worksheet protected? > > "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... > > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I > cannot > > get the sort command and icon to be usable. > > >

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? Southpaw 28.09.2006 15:05:01 It sounds like two or more worksheets in your workbook are grouped (are all the tabs at the bottom white?). Right click on one of the tabs and choose ungroup. "jico" wrote: [Quoted Text] > I don't know about "protecting" a worksheet. I did notice that "[Group]" > appeared after the filename at the top of the window. > > I've been using the Microsoft Works spreadsheet for years and have just > transitioned to using excel. These concepts didn't exist in Works. > > My file has 297 rows of information. The term"[Group]" appears after the > filename in the title bar. Everything in the Data menu is shaded out. I > can't sort, group(whatever that is), or anything else relating to the data > menu. Excel Help says to select the group to ungroup, but I don't even know > what a group is let alone how to find and select it! Excel Help gives me no > clue of what to do. > > I have no idea how it got this way or how to restore the file to its > previous condition. > > "Bob Umlas" wrote: > > > Is the worksheet protected? > > > > "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > > news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... > > > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I > > cannot > > > get the sort command and icon to be usable. > > > > > >

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? Gord Dibben <gorddibbATshawDOTca> 28.09.2006 15:46:06 Before ungrouping the sheets, make note of which are grouped. They are the white tabs. If the sheets have been grouped for some time, carefully check all sheets for changes. The purpose of grouping is that when you make a change on one sheet in the group, the same change is made in all the sheets. Can lead to some interesting problems.........read "disastrous results". Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:05:01 -0700, Southpaw <Southpaw[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: [Quoted Text] >It sounds like two or more worksheets in your workbook are grouped (are all >the tabs at the bottom white?). > >Right click on one of the tabs and choose ungroup. > >"jico" wrote: > >> I don't know about "protecting" a worksheet. I did notice that "[Group]" >> appeared after the filename at the top of the window. >> >> I've been using the Microsoft Works spreadsheet for years and have just >> transitioned to using excel. These concepts didn't exist in Works. >> >> My file has 297 rows of information. The term"[Group]" appears after the >> filename in the title bar. Everything in the Data menu is shaded out. I >> can't sort, group(whatever that is), or anything else relating to the data >> menu. Excel Help says to select the group to ungroup, but I don't even know >> what a group is let alone how to find and select it! Excel Help gives me no >> clue of what to do. >> >> I have no idea how it got this way or how to restore the file to its >> previous condition. >> >> "Bob Umlas" wrote: >> >> > Is the worksheet protected? >> > >> > "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> > news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... >> > > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I >> > cannot >> > > get the sort command and icon to be usable. >> > >> > >> >

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? jico 28.09.2006 16:05:02 Yes!!! That was the problem. Thank you Gord and Southpaw! I must have inadvertently grouped two sheets together. I can see I've got a lot to learn about the nuances of Excel. I wonder what would be the quickest and easiest way to do that. Thanks again, Jico "Gord Dibben" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Before ungrouping the sheets, make note of which are grouped. They are the > white tabs. > > If the sheets have been grouped for some time, carefully check all sheets for > changes. > > The purpose of grouping is that when you make a change on one sheet in the > group, the same change is made in all the sheets. > > Can lead to some interesting problems.........read "disastrous results". > > > Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP > > On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:05:01 -0700, Southpaw > <Southpaw[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > >It sounds like two or more worksheets in your workbook are grouped (are all > >the tabs at the bottom white?). > > > >Right click on one of the tabs and choose ungroup. > > > >"jico" wrote: > > > >> I don't know about "protecting" a worksheet. I did notice that "[Group]" > >> appeared after the filename at the top of the window. > >> > >> I've been using the Microsoft Works spreadsheet for years and have just > >> transitioned to using excel. These concepts didn't exist in Works. > >> > >> My file has 297 rows of information. The term"[Group]" appears after the > >> filename in the title bar. Everything in the Data menu is shaded out. I > >> can't sort, group(whatever that is), or anything else relating to the data > >> menu. Excel Help says to select the group to ungroup, but I don't even know > >> what a group is let alone how to find and select it! Excel Help gives me no > >> clue of what to do. > >> > >> I have no idea how it got this way or how to restore the file to its > >> previous condition. > >> > >> "Bob Umlas" wrote: > >> > >> > Is the worksheet protected? > >> > > >> > "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > >> > news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... > >> > > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I > >> > cannot > >> > > get the sort command and icon to be usable. > >> > > >> > > >> > > >

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? Gord Dibben <gorddibbATshawDOTca> 28.09.2006 16:36:19 Lurk in these excel news groups to learn all the tricks. Use Help extensively.....after a while you will learn what keywords to search for in Help. Always keep a recent backup of your workbooks so you can experiment. When you break things, drag out the recent backup. Gord On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:05:02 -0700, jico <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: [Quoted Text] >Yes!!! That was the problem. Thank you Gord and Southpaw! I must have >inadvertently grouped two sheets together. I can see I've got a lot to learn >about the nuances of Excel. I wonder what would be the quickest and easiest >way to do that. > >Thanks again, >Jico > >"Gord Dibben" wrote: > >> Before ungrouping the sheets, make note of which are grouped. They are the >> white tabs. >> >> If the sheets have been grouped for some time, carefully check all sheets for >> changes. >> >> The purpose of grouping is that when you make a change on one sheet in the >> group, the same change is made in all the sheets. >> >> Can lead to some interesting problems.........read "disastrous results". >> >> >> Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP >> >> On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:05:01 -0700, Southpaw >> <Southpaw[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: >> >> >It sounds like two or more worksheets in your workbook are grouped (are all >> >the tabs at the bottom white?). >> > >> >Right click on one of the tabs and choose ungroup. >> > >> >"jico" wrote: >> > >> >> I don't know about "protecting" a worksheet. I did notice that "[Group]" >> >> appeared after the filename at the top of the window. >> >> >> >> I've been using the Microsoft Works spreadsheet for years and have just >> >> transitioned to using excel. These concepts didn't exist in Works. >> >> >> >> My file has 297 rows of information. The term"[Group]" appears after the >> >> filename in the title bar. Everything in the Data menu is shaded out. I >> >> can't sort, group(whatever that is), or anything else relating to the data >> >> menu. Excel Help says to select the group to ungroup, but I don't even know >> >> what a group is let alone how to find and select it! Excel Help gives me no >> >> clue of what to do. >> >> >> >> I have no idea how it got this way or how to restore the file to its >> >> previous condition. >> >> >> >> "Bob Umlas" wrote: >> >> >> >> > Is the worksheet protected? >> >> > >> >> > "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message >> >> > news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... >> >> > > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I >> >> > cannot >> >> > > get the sort command and icon to be usable. >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

Re: Why is the sort command in excel 2003 shaded out? jico 28.09.2006 17:05:02 All good advice. Thanks again, Gord. Jico "Gord Dibben" wrote: [Quoted Text] > Lurk in these excel news groups to learn all the tricks. > > Use Help extensively.....after a while you will learn what keywords to search > for in Help. > > Always keep a recent backup of your workbooks so you can experiment. > > When you break things, drag out the recent backup. > > > Gord > > On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:05:02 -0700, jico <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > > >Yes!!! That was the problem. Thank you Gord and Southpaw! I must have > >inadvertently grouped two sheets together. I can see I've got a lot to learn > >about the nuances of Excel. I wonder what would be the quickest and easiest > >way to do that. > > > >Thanks again, > >Jico > > > >"Gord Dibben" wrote: > > > >> Before ungrouping the sheets, make note of which are grouped. They are the > >> white tabs. > >> > >> If the sheets have been grouped for some time, carefully check all sheets for > >> changes. > >> > >> The purpose of grouping is that when you make a change on one sheet in the > >> group, the same change is made in all the sheets. > >> > >> Can lead to some interesting problems.........read "disastrous results". > >> > >> > >> Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP > >> > >> On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 08:05:01 -0700, Southpaw > >> <Southpaw[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote: > >> > >> >It sounds like two or more worksheets in your workbook are grouped (are all > >> >the tabs at the bottom white?). > >> > > >> >Right click on one of the tabs and choose ungroup. > >> > > >> >"jico" wrote: > >> > > >> >> I don't know about "protecting" a worksheet. I did notice that "[Group]" > >> >> appeared after the filename at the top of the window. > >> >> > >> >> I've been using the Microsoft Works spreadsheet for years and have just > >> >> transitioned to using excel. These concepts didn't exist in Works. > >> >> > >> >> My file has 297 rows of information. The term"[Group]" appears after the > >> >> filename in the title bar. Everything in the Data menu is shaded out. I > >> >> can't sort, group(whatever that is), or anything else relating to the data > >> >> menu. Excel Help says to select the group to ungroup, but I don't even know > >> >> what a group is let alone how to find and select it! Excel Help gives me no > >> >> clue of what to do. > >> >> > >> >> I have no idea how it got this way or how to restore the file to its > >> >> previous condition. > >> >> > >> >> "Bob Umlas" wrote: > >> >> > >> >> > Is the worksheet protected? > >> >> > > >> >> > "jico" <jico[ at ]discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message > >> >> > news:50391B74-4CC0-4410-9693-7DC3ED145C6A[ at ]microsoft.com... > >> >> > > suddenly Excel stopped letting me sort rows. No matter what I try, I > >> >> > cannot > >> >> > > get the sort command and icon to be usable. > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> >> > > >> > >> > > Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP >