1

When I copy my Excel spreadsheet into an email in Outlook (not attaching, just selecting all cells with values), the cells in the side table change to some weird formatting, as if text boxes are laid over the cells. Here is an image of before and after:

Before:

enter image description here

After:

enter image description here

What exactly is going on? because I've checked all the formatting and there's nothing out of the ordinary?

Here is the form as HTML:

<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">

<head>
<meta name="Excel Workbook Frameset">
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<meta name=ProgId content=Excel.Sheet>
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Excel 14">
<link rel=File-List
href="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/filelist.xml">
<![if !supportTabStrip]>
<link id="shLink" href="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet001.htm">
<link id="shLink" href="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet002.htm">
<link id="shLink" href="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet003.htm">

<link id="shLink">

<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
 var c_lTabs=3;

 var c_rgszSh=new Array(c_lTabs);
 c_rgszSh[0] = "Sheet1";
 c_rgszSh[1] = "Sheet2";
 c_rgszSh[2] = "Sheet3";



 var c_rgszClr=new Array(8);
 c_rgszClr[0]="window";
 c_rgszClr[1]="buttonface";
 c_rgszClr[2]="windowframe";
 c_rgszClr[3]="windowtext";
 c_rgszClr[4]="threedlightshadow";
 c_rgszClr[5]="threedhighlight";
 c_rgszClr[6]="threeddarkshadow";
 c_rgszClr[7]="threedshadow";

 var g_iShCur;
 var g_rglTabX=new Array(c_lTabs);

function fnGetIEVer()
{
 var ua=window.navigator.userAgent
 var msie=ua.indexOf("MSIE")
 if (msie>0 && window.navigator.platform=="Win32")
  return parseInt(ua.substring(msie+5,ua.indexOf(".", msie)));
 else
  return 0;
}

function fnBuildFrameset()
{
 var szHTML="<frameset rows=\"*,18\" border=0 width=0 frameborder=no framespacing=0>"+
  "<frame src=\""+document.all.item("shLink")[0].href+"\" name=\"frSheet\" noresize>"+
  "<frameset cols=\"54,*\" border=0 width=0 frameborder=no framespacing=0>"+
  "<frame src=\"\" name=\"frScroll\" marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 scrolling=no>"+
  "<frame src=\"\" name=\"frTabs\" marginwidth=0 marginheight=0 scrolling=no>"+
  "</frameset></frameset><plaintext>";

 with (document) {
  open("text/html","replace");
  write(szHTML);
  close();
 }

 fnBuildTabStrip();
}

function fnBuildTabStrip()
{
 var szHTML=
  "<html><head><style>.clScroll {font:8pt Courier New;color:"+c_rgszClr[6]+";cursor:default;line-height:10pt;}"+
  ".clScroll2 {font:10pt Arial;color:"+c_rgszClr[6]+";cursor:default;line-height:11pt;}</style></head>"+
  "<body onclick=\"event.returnValue=false;\" ondragstart=\"event.returnValue=false;\" onselectstart=\"event.returnValue=false;\" bgcolor="+c_rgszClr[4]+" topmargin=0 leftmargin=0><table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width=100%>"+
  "<tr><td colspan=6 height=1 bgcolor="+c_rgszClr[2]+"></td></tr>"+
  "<tr><td style=\"font:1pt\">&nbsp;<td>"+
  "<td valign=top id=tdScroll class=\"clScroll\" onclick=\"parent.fnFastScrollTabs(0);\" onmouseover=\"parent.fnMouseOverScroll(0);\" onmouseout=\"parent.fnMouseOutScroll(0);\"><a>&#171;</a></td>"+
  "<td valign=top id=tdScroll class=\"clScroll2\" onclick=\"parent.fnScrollTabs(0);\" ondblclick=\"parent.fnScrollTabs(0);\" onmouseover=\"parent.fnMouseOverScroll(1);\" onmouseout=\"parent.fnMouseOutScroll(1);\"><a>&lt</a></td>"+
  "<td valign=top id=tdScroll class=\"clScroll2\" onclick=\"parent.fnScrollTabs(1);\" ondblclick=\"parent.fnScrollTabs(1);\" onmouseover=\"parent.fnMouseOverScroll(2);\" onmouseout=\"parent.fnMouseOutScroll(2);\"><a>&gt</a></td>"+
  "<td valign=top id=tdScroll class=\"clScroll\" onclick=\"parent.fnFastScrollTabs(1);\" onmouseover=\"parent.fnMouseOverScroll(3);\" onmouseout=\"parent.fnMouseOutScroll(3);\"><a>&#187;</a></td>"+
  "<td style=\"font:1pt\">&nbsp;<td></tr></table></body></html>";

 with (frames['frScroll'].document) {
  open("text/html","replace");
  write(szHTML);
  close();
 }

 szHTML =
  "<html><head>"+
  "<style>A:link,A:visited,A:active {text-decoration:none;"+"color:"+c_rgszClr[3]+";}"+
  ".clTab {cursor:hand;background:"+c_rgszClr[1]+";font:9pt Arial;padding-left:3px;padding-right:3px;text-align:center;}"+
  ".clBorder {background:"+c_rgszClr[2]+";font:1pt;}"+
  "</style></head><body onload=\"parent.fnInit();\" onselectstart=\"event.returnValue=false;\" ondragstart=\"event.returnValue=false;\" bgcolor="+c_rgszClr[4]+
  " topmargin=0 leftmargin=0><table id=tbTabs cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0>";

 var iCellCount=(c_lTabs+1)*2;

 var i;
 for (i=0;i<iCellCount;i+=2)
  szHTML+="<col width=1><col>";

 var iRow;
 for (iRow=0;iRow<6;iRow++) {

  szHTML+="<tr>";

  if (iRow==5)
   szHTML+="<td colspan="+iCellCount+"></td>";
  else {
   if (iRow==0) {
    for(i=0;i<iCellCount;i++)
     szHTML+="<td height=1 class=\"clBorder\"></td>";
   } else if (iRow==1) {
    for(i=0;i<c_lTabs;i++) {
     szHTML+="<td height=1 nowrap class=\"clBorder\">&nbsp;</td>";
     szHTML+=
      "<td id=tdTab height=1 nowrap class=\"clTab\" onmouseover=\"parent.fnMouseOverTab("+i+");\" onmouseout=\"parent.fnMouseOutTab("+i+");\">"+
      "<a href=\""+document.all.item("shLink")[i].href+"\" target=\"frSheet\" id=aTab>&nbsp;"+c_rgszSh[i]+"&nbsp;</a></td>";
    }
    szHTML+="<td id=tdTab height=1 nowrap class=\"clBorder\"><a id=aTab>&nbsp;</a></td><td width=100%></td>";
   } else if (iRow==2) {
    for (i=0;i<c_lTabs;i++)
     szHTML+="<td height=1></td><td height=1 class=\"clBorder\"></td>";
    szHTML+="<td height=1></td><td height=1></td>";
   } else if (iRow==3) {
    for (i=0;i<iCellCount;i++)
     szHTML+="<td height=1></td>";
   } else if (iRow==4) {
    for (i=0;i<c_lTabs;i++)
     szHTML+="<td height=1 width=1></td><td height=1></td>";
    szHTML+="<td height=1 width=1></td><td></td>";
   }
  }
  szHTML+="</tr>";
 }

 szHTML+="</table></body></html>";
 with (frames['frTabs'].document) {
  open("text/html","replace");
  charset=document.charset;
  write(szHTML);
  close();
 }
}

function fnInit()
{
 g_rglTabX[0]=0;
 var i;
 for (i=1;i<=c_lTabs;i++)
  with (frames['frTabs'].document.all.tbTabs.rows[1].cells[fnTabToCol(i-1)])
   g_rglTabX[i]=offsetLeft+offsetWidth-6;
}

function fnTabToCol(iTab)
{
 return 2*iTab+1;
}

function fnNextTab(fDir)
{
 var iNextTab=-1;
 var i;

 with (frames['frTabs'].document.body) {
  if (fDir==0) {
   if (scrollLeft>0) {
    for (i=0;i<c_lTabs&&g_rglTabX[i]<scrollLeft;i++);
    if (i<c_lTabs)
     iNextTab=i-1;
   }
  } else {
   if (g_rglTabX[c_lTabs]+6>offsetWidth+scrollLeft) {
    for (i=0;i<c_lTabs&&g_rglTabX[i]<=scrollLeft;i++);
    if (i<c_lTabs)
     iNextTab=i;
   }
  }
 }
 return iNextTab;
}

function fnScrollTabs(fDir)
{
 var iNextTab=fnNextTab(fDir);

 if (iNextTab>=0) {
  frames['frTabs'].scroll(g_rglTabX[iNextTab],0);
  return true;
 } else
  return false;
}

function fnFastScrollTabs(fDir)
{
 if (c_lTabs>16)
  frames['frTabs'].scroll(g_rglTabX[fDir?c_lTabs-1:0],0);
 else
  if (fnScrollTabs(fDir)>0) window.setTimeout("fnFastScrollTabs("+fDir+");",5);
}

function fnSetTabProps(iTab,fActive)
{
 var iCol=fnTabToCol(iTab);
 var i;

 if (iTab>=0) {
  with (frames['frTabs'].document.all) {
   with (tbTabs) {
    for (i=0;i<=4;i++) {
     with (rows[i]) {
      if (i==0)
       cells[iCol].style.background=c_rgszClr[fActive?0:2];
      else if (i>0 && i<4) {
       if (fActive) {
        cells[iCol-1].style.background=c_rgszClr[2];
        cells[iCol].style.background=c_rgszClr[0];
        cells[iCol+1].style.background=c_rgszClr[2];
       } else {
        if (i==1) {
         cells[iCol-1].style.background=c_rgszClr[2];
         cells[iCol].style.background=c_rgszClr[1];
         cells[iCol+1].style.background=c_rgszClr[2];
        } else {
         cells[iCol-1].style.background=c_rgszClr[4];
         cells[iCol].style.background=c_rgszClr[(i==2)?2:4];
         cells[iCol+1].style.background=c_rgszClr[4];
        }
       }
      } else
       cells[iCol].style.background=c_rgszClr[fActive?2:4];
     }
    }
   }
   with (aTab[iTab].style) {
    cursor=(fActive?"default":"hand");
    color=c_rgszClr[3];
   }
  }
 }
}

function fnMouseOverScroll(iCtl)
{
 frames['frScroll'].document.all.tdScroll[iCtl].style.color=c_rgszClr[7];
}

function fnMouseOutScroll(iCtl)
{
 frames['frScroll'].document.all.tdScroll[iCtl].style.color=c_rgszClr[6];
}

function fnMouseOverTab(iTab)
{
 if (iTab!=g_iShCur) {
  var iCol=fnTabToCol(iTab);
  with (frames['frTabs'].document.all) {
   tdTab[iTab].style.background=c_rgszClr[5];
  }
 }
}

function fnMouseOutTab(iTab)
{
 if (iTab>=0) {
  var elFrom=frames['frTabs'].event.srcElement;
  var elTo=frames['frTabs'].event.toElement;

  if ((!elTo) ||
   (elFrom.tagName==elTo.tagName) ||
   (elTo.tagName=="A" && elTo.parentElement!=elFrom) ||
   (elFrom.tagName=="A" && elFrom.parentElement!=elTo)) {

   if (iTab!=g_iShCur) {
    with (frames['frTabs'].document.all) {
     tdTab[iTab].style.background=c_rgszClr[1];
    }
   }
  }
 }
}

function fnSetActiveSheet(iSh)
{
 if (iSh!=g_iShCur) {
  fnSetTabProps(g_iShCur,false);
  fnSetTabProps(iSh,true);
  g_iShCur=iSh;
 }
}

 window.g_iIEVer=fnGetIEVer();
 if (window.g_iIEVer>=4)
  fnBuildFrameset();
//-->
</script>
<![endif]><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
 <x:ExcelWorkbook>
  <x:ExcelWorksheets>
   <x:ExcelWorksheet>
    <x:Name>Sheet1</x:Name>
    <x:WorksheetSource
     HRef="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet001.htm"/>
   </x:ExcelWorksheet>
   <x:ExcelWorksheet>
    <x:Name>Sheet2</x:Name>
    <x:WorksheetSource
     HRef="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet002.htm"/>
   </x:ExcelWorksheet>
   <x:ExcelWorksheet>
    <x:Name>Sheet3</x:Name>
    <x:WorksheetSource
     HRef="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet003.htm"/>
   </x:ExcelWorksheet>
  </x:ExcelWorksheets>
  <x:Stylesheet
   HRef="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/stylesheet.css"/>
  <x:WindowHeight>11820</x:WindowHeight>
  <x:WindowWidth>11475</x:WindowWidth>
  <x:WindowTopX>480</x:WindowTopX>
  <x:WindowTopY>30</x:WindowTopY>
  <x:ProtectStructure>False</x:ProtectStructure>
  <x:ProtectWindows>False</x:ProtectWindows>
 </x:ExcelWorkbook>
</xml><![endif]-->
</head>

<frameset rows="*,39" border=0 width=0 frameborder=no framespacing=0>
 <frame src="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/sheet001.htm" name="frSheet">
 <frame src="Google%20Analytics%20Report%20WE.%2030-03-14_files/tabstrip.htm" name="frTabs" marginwidth=0 marginheight=0>
 <noframes>
  <body>
   <p>This page uses frames, but your browser doesn't support them.</p>
  </body>
 </noframes>
</frameset>
</html>
12
  • If you would like to send editable tables, why don't you put them into separate Excel spreadsheets?
    – harrymc
    Apr 22, 2014 at 15:01
  • @harrymc I have tried that I didn't put it in the question but even when I created the thing from scratch in a new excel doc I tried copying into an email and the same thing happened only half of the cells changed to the above though... Apr 23, 2014 at 12:51
  • 1
    I meant sending the excel docs as attached excel docs and not embedded. Since Outlook 2007 the editor was replaced by Word, which is not the world's best html editor, but there is no way to go back. There is even no guarantee that the email will look the same if the receiver does not use Outlook 2007 or newer. Also if Word is not installed there are differences in what you can do. Is Word installed? If not, installing it might improve the situation.
    – harrymc
    Apr 23, 2014 at 13:28
  • @harrymc We have the full office 2010 Professional suit installed on each machine Apr 23, 2014 at 15:58
  • If you post a minimal excel sheet that exhibits the problem I'll have a look.
    – harrymc
    Apr 23, 2014 at 16:24

3 Answers 3

2

When you paste it, there will be a helper box appear in the lower right corner of the table.

enter image description here

Click it and choose Keep Source Formatting. Otherwise, it may be applying Destination Styles.

3
  • Okay the keep source formatting only done a few rows I have another two tables at the right hands side of the table in the picture the source formatting is corrected up to where the second table starts... :s how do I get rid of destination styles? Mar 31, 2014 at 14:25
  • It's done when you paste. You may need to re-paste to get the option to do so.
    – CharlieRB
    Mar 31, 2014 at 14:48
  • 1
    I've tried pasting numerous times in different ways, the only way I can get it to stay in the correct format is to paste as a picture, this however does not allow any editing to be done to it... Mar 31, 2014 at 15:02
1

I have found a very simple way to do this that I am kicking myself for not finding. The drop down arrow on the paste button in the ribbon allowed me to "Paste Special" as a Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object. This pasted it as a screen snipping from Excel but allowed me to double click to edit the cells as if I were in Excel.

Thanks for all the help and tips on this it was much appreciated.

0

I had a similar issue and trying to change paste options was however not fruitful for me. But, accidentally I discovered that its the problem of mismatching borders in your excel data.

What you have to do to rectify this issues is just select the data in your excel which you wanna paste and go to the border option on the top left corner under the Home tab. Now from the dropdown list select all borders. THATs IT!!!!!!!! you are done.....Now copy the same data again and paste it wherever you want in mail, word etc. You will find that there is no more format change.

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