Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2016 October 15

Welcome to the Wikipedia Computing Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

October 15

Background shading colors in Excel

When you use Excel spreadsheets, you have the ability to color in (or "shade") the background of a cell. So, up on the top left of the Excel spreadsheet (where all the commands and functions are), there is a little icon of a can of paint, spilling out some colored paint. It's usually yellow paint being spilled out. If you hover your mouse over that, it says "Fill Color". If you click this icon, it brings up a box. Here is where you select what color you want to shade in or "fill" the cells in question. At the top of this box, it says "Theme Colors". There are 60 Theme Colors to select from. There are 10 columns of 6 rows (10 times 6 = 60). A little bit lower, it says "Standard Colors". There are 10 Standard Colors to select from. Here is my question. In one Excel spreadsheet, the "Theme Colors" (the ones at the top) are set up in a certain pattern. In a different Excel spreadsheet, the "Theme Colors" (the ones at the top) are set up in a completely different pattern. Why is that? And how can I get them all to be consistent? I never went in and changed any "settings" or such. So, why would they be different in the first place, from one Excel sheet to another? And how can I make them all consistent? The reason I ask. I use a particular color a lot (it is sort of a dark orange, almost brown color). In one spreadsheet, this color is very easy to find. It's the very last one on the very bottom. In other words, of the selection of 60 Theme Colors, it is the one on the bottom-most right of the selection grid. That's why I selected this (ugly) color in the first place, because of its convenient position among the list of 60 choices. So, it's very easy to find and to select. In the other spreadsheet, that "dark orange / almost brown" color is hard to find. It's mixed in with the other array of 60 other colors, somewhere in the middle. It's very hard to find. And, in fact, it seems like a completely different color, anyway. Any thoughts? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 15:41, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

I would indicate here which version of Excel that I am using. But I don't know how to find out that specific information. I thought that I was using Excel 2016 or Excel 2017, but I am not sure. I thought I saw some indication of "Excel 2016" or "Excel 2017" somewhere along the way. Also, I think that I am using Office 365, but I am not sure of that, either. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 15:45, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

The only difference that I can think of is: some of my spreadsheets are very old; I created them many years ago. Some spreadsheets are newer; let's say that I only created them days ago. So, maybe there were some different versions of Excel on my computer when I actually created the sheets in question. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 15:50, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

This seems to me to be the most likely solution, Joseph. In the job I recently left, I used or referred to various Excel spreadsheets, some of which had been created up to seven years before or duplicated from them, and some newer, and the office had gone through several upgrades of both Windows and Office/Excel in that timespan. (Many of them contained a particular year's worth of itemised job cost records on one of several different contracts, others were records of those costs charged in a given month, yet others were compiled look-up tables of component prices, etc.)

I noticed that the available array of cell tints differed from Excel version to version, and also that the same spreadsheet's tints both looked on screen, and printed, differently if sent to others' PCs which might be using a different version of Windows to mine – blues, pinks and greens (for example) would still be blue, pink or green, but might be noticeably lighter, heavier or a different hue. So long as the variations preserved the coded meanings and did not make text unreadable, this didn't matter, but it would have been annoying if close consistency of appearance had been required. {The poster formerly known as 87.81,230.195} 90.197.27.88 (talk) 20:37, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

Thanks. Yes, but what you and I described was the problem, not the solution. What is the solution? How do I fix this problem? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 20:51, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

Sorry – sloppy wording. I meant it was the solution/answer to what was causing the problem, not what would solve/eliminate it. Apologies. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 90.197.27.88 (talk) 22:32, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

No problem. I got what you meant. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 03:21, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

• Would this or that help you? Tigraan^{Click here to contact me} 18:21, 16 October 2016 (UTC)

Hmmmm. Now those links are very interesting. I will review these links more closely. However, wouldn't there have to be a point in time somewhere during which I actually changed the theme myself? Otherwise, how did I get these new themes in the first place? Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 03:21, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Additional ranting speculation

Also, it is common knowledge that the Microsoft Office developers try to make it as hard as possible for other (free) software like LibreOffice to read the files they create (full rant here). Not only does this mean that Excel-generated files are objectively horribly formatted (from a programmer's point of view), but there is an arms race between new versions of Excel "encrypting" the file contents and the import modules of the alternative softwares. At some point, it becomes hard to modify the file format in such a way that older Excel versions can read it flawlessly yet it would somehow fail to render properly in up-to-date alternative software; so either you ditch compatibility with older versions (that is what happened when .xls files were replaced by .xlsx), or you give up and allow other software to read your files (it seems to be the current way, but you might have files older than that). TigraanClick here to contact me 11:01, 17 October 2016 (UTC)

Thanks, all. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 03:04, 20 October 2016 (UTC)

Windows 10 looping

A neighbor writes: Do you know of anyone that may help us with a small problem with our pc? It is running Windows 10 but lately seems to get itself in a loop and the only way to fix it is to power it off. However, it is happening quite a lot and I don't know if there is a serious problem or not. (I'm a Mac user.) —Tamfang (talk) 19:55, 15 October 2016 (UTC)

Some of the recent updated failed in several attempts of download. These Updates can be downloaded manually by searching for the KB number. If there are uninstalled Updates, have install them during restart. Click the right mouse button on the Windows start menue button, choose the restart and installing updates. This option is visible when updates are avail. Make sure the securitiy software agains viruses and other malware is propperly installed, using the recent update and is able to detect the eicar test file. Use CCleaner or similar software to flush caches, drop orphaned temporary files and other useless load. Remove toolbars, crapware and not really needed apps, programs, addons and plugins. On August 3^rd 2016, Windows 10, 1511 got the anniversary update 1607, known for the symbols left side in the start menu. When windows was updated twice, depending on the use of the computer, problems can occur. It might be a solution, to backup all data, get the Windows 10 1607 ISO DVD image, clean reinstall the computer and security software, update windows and restore the users files from backup. --Hans Haase (有问题吗) 08:37, 16 October 2016 (UTC)