This browser is no longer supported.
Upgrade to Microsoft Edge to take advantage of the latest features, security updates, and technical support.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(128, 8%, 22%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Have an Excel spreadsheet and graph which plots about 60 variables against time. The abcissa is about ten years, in 3 month increments. Many of the graphed data are simple straight lines over a 1 - 2 month time span. The graph is rather busy at first glance.
Problem occurred just as I started to enter a new set of data points - Source Data/Name/Values/Category (X) axis labels. Not sure.but I think it was just as I hit Enter, the graph collapsed in the y direction to about 1/4 high if printed on an 8.5 x 11 sheet, where ordinarily it would be more like 7 inches high.
The black drag markers, which appear when any specific area is selected, do not appear when this very condensed "chart area" is selected. They may be there but are buried is a mass of markers from overlapping curves. The drag markers which usually appear at the corners of a selected area are not there either.
I would really appreciate any suggestions as to how to expand the y axis.
Dave
A family of Microsoft spreadsheet software with tools for analyzing, charting, and communicating data.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Answer accepted by question author
Provide us the sample data or upload the file to SkyDrive to help us understand the issue.
Thx Anula - this is very detailed personal medical info which I cannot forward. We'll just have to leave it here.
Thx again
Dave
Thanks for the reply. I don't see an 'automatic' option on Format axis, but I tried everything else - no joy.
But an interesting development - I brought up a backup copy of this graph, which was OK. But when I was using the up arrow to move the cursor on the screen, this graph collapsed in exactly the same manner. I tapped the up cursor 2 or 3 times in rapid succession, then realized the graph was shrinking in large increments with each tap. My archived BU copy is OK, but I would sure like to know what is going on here. I have been graphing data in Excel for many years but have never seen this sort of thing.
Someone on this list once told me the limit for such a graph was 2300 variables. Looks like it's closer to 60 !
Would appreciate any suggestions.
Dave
Right click on y axis< Format axis< choose the option automatic and check if it helps