IBM Support

Long time (slow) using 'Find and Replace' in Excel spreadsheet, if Controller link installed

Troubleshooting


Problem

User opens a spreadsheet (XLSX) file. User clicks 'Ctrl - F' on their keyboard, and clicks on the tab 'Replace'. Inside 'Find what' and 'Replace with' user enters the relevant values. User clicks 'Replace All'. This quickly (almost immediately) displays the number of changes that Excel will make (for example 1000). User then clicks OK. User then tries to click 'Close'. However, it now takes a long time (for exampe 25 seconds) before Excel is usable again (during which the Excel cells may flicker, as if they are updating themselves).

Symptom

In one real-life example, it took around 25 seconds to replace the contents of 1061 cells.

  • This compares with a near-instantaneous change when the Controller link is disabled (inactive).

 

More Information

 

The symptoms vary slightly depending on which exact version of Controller you are using:

  • 10.2.5110.85 - The slowness/delay is reproduced whether-or-not you are logged into the Controller Excel-link
  • 10.2.5110.95 - The slowness/delay is *only* reproduced if you are logged into the Controller Excel-link. In other words, if (inside Excel) you first click "Controller - Logout", then the 'Find and Replace' task runs quickly.
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Document Information

More support for:
IBM Cognos Controller

Software version:
10.3.1, 10.3, 10.2.1

Operating system(s):
Windows

Document number:
267185

Modified date:
08 May 2025

UID

swg21967538

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