OFF97: Excel Objects Appear Truncated

When you paste or insert a Microsoft Excel object into any program, such as Microsoft PowerPoint or Microsoft WordPad, portions of the object may be cut off. Specifically, the right-most and bottom portions may be missing.

In addition, when you edit an embedded Excel object under Microsoft Windows NT or Microsoft Windows 2000, the embedded object may become larger, and the right-most and bottom portions may be missing.

This behavior is caused by a design limitation in the size of the Windows metafile that is used to represent an Excel object in another program. This design prevents overflow in the size of the metafile.

The size of this metafile is more accurately defined in Windows NT and Windows 2000 than in Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98; therefore, objects that were embedded under Windows 95 or Windows 98 may exhibit this behavior when you edit them under Windows NT or Windows 2000.

To work around this limitation, use any of the following methods.

NOTE: Although the following examples specifically apply to Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint, the general principles apply to Microsoft Excel and any other program that exhibits this behavior, such as Microsoft Word.

Method 1: Reduce Font and Cell Sizes

Reduce the font sizes and cell sizes proportionately in Microsoft Excel, so that the object fits within the boundaries of the metafile. Use this method only if the Excel object is only slightly truncated. To use this method, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the truncated object, and then click Open Worksheet Object.
2. Select the entire range of the worksheet that you would like to change. If the object is a chart, click the article number below to view in the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   166862  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/166862/EN-US/ ) PPT97: Microsoft Excel Chart Cropped When Pasted in PowerPoint
3. On the Format menu, point to Column, and then click Width. Reduce the listed width by 75 percent. Click OK.
4. On the Format menu, point to Row, and then click Height. Reduce the listed height by 75 percent. Click OK.
5. On the Format menu, click Cells. Click the Font tab. Reduce the listed font size by 75 percent (round down).
   
   Although the minimum listed font size is 8 points, you can manually type any number as small as 1. However, you may see formatting errors if you make the font size smaller than 8 points.
6. Select the newly formatted section. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
7. Switch to PowerPoint. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

You can now safely delete your original Excel object.

Method 2: Paste the Worksheet in Sections

Paste the Excel worksheet in sections, and then group the sections. Use this method for large Excel worksheets that must be linked to a source file. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the truncated Excel object, and then click Open Worksheet Object.
2. Select the portion of the Excel worksheet that was originally visible in the other program. On the Edit menu, click Copy. If you are copying a chart, click the article number below to view in the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   166862  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/166862/EN-US/ ) PPT97: Microsoft Excel Chart Cropped When Pasted in PowerPoint
3. Switch to PowerPoint. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
4. Switch to Excel. Select a section of the Excel worksheet that was not displayed in the originally inserted object.
   
   Make sure that the size of your selection does not exceed the first section that you have already copied. On the Edit menu, click Copy.
5. Switch to PowerPoint. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
6. Use the guides to align the two pasted Excel sections, so that they appear to be one seamless worksheet. (If the guides are not visible, click to select Guides on the View menu.)
7. Select both objects by clicking one object, and then holding down SHIFT while you click the other object.
8. On the Draw menu, click Group.
9. Repeat steps 4-8, until you copy the entire worksheet.

Method 3: Increase the Video Resolution

NOTE: Because there are several versions of Microsoft Windows, the following steps may be different on your computer. If they are, see your product documentation to complete these steps.

Increase the video resolution to greater than 800 x 600 pixels. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
2. On the Settings tab, move the Screen area slider to be greater than 800 x 600 pixels.

NOTE: To install or change the video driver under Windows NT 4.0, refer to the Windows 95 steps in the above article.

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