Excel adds ".xls]" at beginning of worksheet names

squidmark

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Joined
Aug 1, 2007
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105
Hi. this is my first post, and I searched the archives for this issue before posting, but couldn't find anything.

I came to work on my excel workbook today and tried to name a worksheet from 'Sheet 2' to '2 Aug'. When I finished, Excel automatically added a '.xls]' to the begging of the worksheet name.

When I tried to delete the .xls], excel kept giving me an error message stating:

"While renaming a sheet or chart, you entered an invalid name. Try one fo the following:
- Make sure the name you entered does not exceed 31 characters
- Make sure the dame does not contain any of the following characters: :/\* [ or ] (this puzzles me, because I actually REMOVED a "]" that Excel had put in there)
- make sure you did not leave the name blank.

Could I have checked or unchecked something in Tools>Options that makes it necessary for Excel to automatically prepend the worksheet with that ".xls]"?

Thanks
 

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Hi There

Looks like you have saved the file as a webpage or something, go to File>>Save As and check what 'Type' of book you are saving.

I have only ever seen Excel acting in this way under these circumstances so it is very likely that there may be many other reasons

Hope it was helpful

Dave
 
Upvote 0
Thanks. That did the trick

But now that raises a more troublesome question:

Did someone gain access to my computer to change the type of file from excel workbook? OR (even more troubling) am I losing my mind to the point that I changed it myself and don't remember doing so?

probably a question for another forum.

Thanks though.
 
Upvote 0
Or was it done purely by accident

Was the file type different?
 
Upvote 0

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