KBA-01345: Why you should not AutoRecover in Microsoft Excel when using BFA, SOV, or PD

Question:

I encountered a problem when using the BFA (SOV, PD) workbook and now Microsoft Excel is asking if I want to save and use the AutoRecover file. Should I select it?

Answer:

NO. When accessing a Spitfire-controlled Microsoft Excel workbook (BFA [Budget, Forecast and Analysis], SOV [Schedule of Values], or PD [Period Distribution]) the answer to the “document recovery” prompt should always be NO.Document recovery attempts to return the worksheet to the state prior to the Excel failure.  This includes the data in the workbook at the time of the failure.  This is a great tool for the common use of Excel workbooks where the data is stored with the workbook.

However, the Spitfire workbooks (BFA, SOV and PD) never store data with the workbook.

The data is delivered from, and returned to, the Spitfire database.  Any data in a recovered Spitfire workbook is happenstance.  In addition, the “recovered” workbook will not have an operational link to Spitfire, ultimately disconnecting the workbook from Spitfire—nothing afterward will be saved back to the database.

Any attempts to use Spitfire functionality in a recovered document will fail.


KBA-01345; Last updated: October 27, 2016 at 9:34 am;
Keywords:  auto recover, BFA, SOV, Period Distribution, worksheet, workbook