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This is a painful nuance with Microsoft Excel - i.e. that sheets can be protected while allowing users to continue collapsing and expanding grouped rows and columns, but once the workbook is saved, closed and re-opened, grouped rows and columns cannot be collapsed or expanded.
This issue means that when you provide modular workbooks created using Modano (which protects the sheets to ensure that the modules remain in intact) to Excel users without Modano installed, they will be unable to expand or collapse grouped rows or columns.
We have contacted Microsoft about this before over the years, as we can't see how it's not a bug, but they've never done anything to change this behaviour.
The workaround is to ask 3rd parties to create a Modano account and install the free Community Edition of Modano, as this will allow them to collapse and expand grouped rows within modular workbooks of any size.
Hi Daniel,
Apologies for the belated reply. Happily, I can confirm that we have found a solution to this issue and from version 10.20 of Modano - which we're aiming to release at the start of November 2020 - non-Modano users will be able to collapse and expand grouped rows in modular workbooks without them needing to be released/unmanaged.
If you want to ensure that you get this upgrade as soon as it's available please ensure that your update settings in Modano are set to Always.
It will be great to not have this issue going forward! M.
Hi Guys,
From version 10.20 of Modano (due for release in early January 2021) you will not need to release workbooks for non-Modano users to be able to collapse and expand rows. So please be patient.
We're aware this is a frustration, and it's bad for us too as we'd rather our community don't release workbooks, so it's going to be a great thing not having to worry about this anymore.
M.
Hey Guys,
Just a quick positive update on this area... Microsoft has now fixed the bug which was disallowing the use of top-level outlining tools (i.e. the 1,2,3, etc. buttons alongside the row and column headers) when Modano is not installed.
These tools can now be used perfectly on Modano modular workbooks by non-Modano users without needing to unmanage them.
Great little win.