Microsoft KB Archive/215205

= XL2000: Workbook Name Contains Invalid Characters =

Article ID: 215205

Article Last Modified on 9/25/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q215205



SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel, you may see any of the following behaviors:  The name of the workbook may contain either of the bracket characters: [ ]

-or-

 The name on the sheet tab for the workbook contains the file name extension and a ] character preceding the sheet names, for example, .xls]Sheet1

-or-

  When you rename a sheet that contains the file name extension and ] character, you receive the following error message: While renaming a sheet or chart, you entered an invalid name. Try one of the following:

- Make sure the name you entered does not exceed 31 characters. - Make sure the name does not contain any of the following characters: : \ / ? * [ or ] - Make sure you did not leave the name blank. 



CAUSE
These behaviors may occur when you do either of the following:


 * You programmatically save a file with a file name that includes the [ or ] characters.

-or-
 * You open a file that was renamed outside of Excel, with a file name that includes the [ or ] characters.



WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, save the file using a new name without [ or ] characters.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
When you programmatically save a file, Excel does not validate the file name by checking for either the [ or ] characters. Therefore, Visual Basic for Applications allows you to save a file with either or both of these characters.

Additional query words: XL2000

Keywords: kbbug kbnofix KB215205

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