Forum Discussion
Names of chart worksheets tabs have disspaeared
The tab names I had given to worksheets that are charts have disappeared and they are now just named 'Chart1', 'Chart2' ... 'Chart10'. Does anyone know why Excel would do this? Yesterday I moved the file to a different folder by 'dragging and dropping' and have noticed this since then. My workbook has about 15 worksheets, of which 10 are charts, it is 40 MB in size, the worksheets with spreadsheets in them have kept their tab titles as they were. I am using an iMac.
It sounds like Excel reset the chart sheet names when you moved the file. This can sometimes happen due to:
Possible Causes:
- File Corruption or Save Issue – Moving large files while they are open can sometimes cause metadata loss.
- Excel Cache Issue – Excel on Mac sometimes refreshes chart sheets differently from regular worksheets.
- Auto-Recovery Mode – If Excel crashed or didn't save properly, it may have reverted chart sheets to default names.
- File Format Issue – If your file was saved in a format like .xls instead of .xlsx or .xlsm, chart sheet names might not have been retained.
Possible Fixes:
1. Try Undoing the Issue (If File Was Recently Moved)
- Open Time Machine (if enabled) and restore a previous version.
- Check Excel’s AutoRecover folder for an older copy:
- Go to: ~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.Excel/Data/Library/Preferences/AutoRecovery
- Look for an older version of your file.
2. Check If the Names Are Still Stored Somewhere
- Press Cmd + F and search for a unique chart sheet name in your workbook.
- If you had formulas referring to the charts (=ChartName!A1), see if they still reference the old names.
3. Rename Chart Sheets Manually
If nothing restores the names, you'll need to rename them manually:
- Right-click on the chart tab → Select Rename.
- If the option is disabled, try this:
- Open Excel Preferences → View → Enable "Sheet Tabs"
- Save the file, close, and reopen.
4. Save and Reopen in Different Formats
If the issue persists:
- Save As Excel Binary Workbook (.xlsb), close Excel, and reopen.
- If that works, save it back to .xlsx or .xlsm.
Prevention for the Future
Always save the file before moving it.
Avoid dragging and dropping large files while they’re open.
Keep Time Machine or cloud backups active.The text and the steps were created with the help of AI.
The solution approaches must be implemented with caution, as they come from the AI.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
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