XL: Open Dialog Box May Not Show All Subdirectories

- Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0, 5.0c

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel for Windows, when you choose Open from the File menu, the Open dialog box may not display all of the available subdirectories in the specified directory.

CAUSE

This problem is caused by a limitation in the standard Open dialog box used in Microsoft Excel. The number of subdirectories shown is dependent on the amount of available heap space in Microsoft Windows at the time that the Open command was chosen from the File menu.

Note that when you scroll through the list of subdirectories, more heap space is used which may make it difficult to open files or change directories.

RESOLUTION

This limitation should have no effect on the availability of the subdirectory, only the display of the subdirectory in the Open dialog box. You should still be able to access the directory by typing in the entire path. On a typical machine, the Open dialog box will display approximately 200 subdirectories; however, this number is not a constant. The number of subdirectories displayed could be more or less than 200.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.x and 5.x.

The problem does not occur in Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0, or in Microsoft Excel 97.