Microsoft KB Archive/65366

WD: Pasting Text from Excel Copies Incorrect Cell Width

PSS ID Number: Q65366 Article last modified on 02-03-1998

MACINTOSH:4.0,5.0,5.1

MACINTOSH

================================================================ ==

The information in this article applies to:

 == Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.1 == 

= SYMPTOMS =

When you paste cells that contain text from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet into a version 4.0 or 5.x Word document, the table generated in Word may not have the same width as the selection that was copied from Excel.

= CAUSE =

The difference in table width occurs because Excel does not export information about cells that are to the right of the last active cell on the worksheet (even though in Excel the text appears to overflow into those cells).

For example, an Excel worksheet may look like the following:

+—+————-+————-+————-+ | | A | B | C | +—+————-+————-+————-+ | 1 |This is some very long text in cell A1 | +—+————-+————-+————-+ | 2 |Here is some long text in cell A2 | +—+————-+————-+————-+

If you select cells A1 through C2, copy them, and then paste the selection into a Word document, the resulting table will resemble the following:

+—————+ |This is some | |very long text | |in cell A1 | +—————+ |Here is some | |long text in | |cell A2 | +—————+

This difference occurs because the last active cell on the Excel worksheet is A2, causing the cells to the right of it not to be included in the selection when it is copied from Excel.

= RESOLUTION =

This problem was corrected in Microsoft Word 6.0x for Windows and Macintosh.

Use any of the following methods to work around the problem:

Method 1: Change the Column Width
Change the column width in Excel so that the text being copied does not run over into the next cell.

Method 2: Add Extra Text
Type some text in the cells to the right of the last line(s) of the text you want to copy. In the above example, if you typed a space in cell D2 in the Excel worksheet, cell D2 would become the last active cell. When you copy the selection into Word, the table should have the correct width.

Method 3: Change the Cell Formatting

 * 1) Select the cells to the right of the last line of the cells that you want to copy.
 * 2) On the Format menu, click Number.
 * 3) Under Format Number, select any option except General (the default format).

= Additional query words: =

Keywords : kbinterop macword Version : MACINTOSH:4.0,5.0,5.1 Platform : MACINTOSH Issue type : kbbug Solution Type : kbfix ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.