Question : Tracking Changes in Excel spreadsheet with a Pivot Table

Hi all,

I need to track changes to an Excel spreadsheet that has a pivot table.  I know that the tracking functionality in Excel requires that the workbook be shared, but the pivot tables cannot be used in a shared workbook.  But, whenever I unshare the workbook to update the pivot table, the tracking history is lost.  What I would like to do is automatically copy the "History" worksheet to an archive whever sharing is turned off so that it is not lost.  Any ideas on this?  

Thanks.

Answer : Tracking Changes in Excel spreadsheet with a Pivot Table

Hi mctithof,

Why not split your spreadsheet into two?  Although it means a bit more overhead, you can have the one workbook which is shared and tracks changes, and a second which contains the pivot tables.  If your 'data' workbook is in a central location, then creating the pivot table worksheet should be pretty self explainatory.

Alternatively if you need your raw data and pivot tables in one workbook (for presentation purposes?), then you could use your 'data' workbook for tracking the changes, and then use that as a data-source to a second.  The second workbook could use an 'external data range' which pulls the data from the data sheet.  Then you build your pivots over the imported data.  This way, you'd only ever have to open up your second workbook, refresh the data range and Bob's your uncle!

Let me know if you'd like me to step by step this stuff...

Cheers

Jon