Reduce the size of an Excel file
A few thousand rows, and the file weighs 40 MB, takes a minute to open, no longer goes by email. The weight rarely comes from the data.
In Excel, step by step
Find the real end
Ctrl+End on each sheet: if the last cell is far from the data, delete the extra rows and columns, then save.
Compress pictures
Select a picture, Picture Format, Compress Pictures, for the whole document.
Lighten pivot tables
PivotTable Options, Data, untick "Save source data with file".
Save as .xlsb
The binary format is often half the size, but less readable by other software.
Pitfalls
- Thousands of styles copied from one workbook to another weigh the file down without showing anything.
- Conditional formats fragmented by copy and paste sometimes number in the thousands.
- Deleting empty rows that carry formatting is not enough: you have to save for Excel to recalculate the used range.
Faster, on the whole file
The health check measures the weight part by part and says where it comes from; Reduce file size removes an oversized used range, duplicate styles, fragmented formats and caches, without changing a value.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my file still heavy after deleting data?
- Because the weight was not in the data: styles, formats, caches and the used range remain.