Excel losing pasted pics

Question

I have an excel spreadsheet where I track things and I paste snip-its from websites to tie to my recons. Recently, even when properly saved, the images are just disappearing from the file. I have confirmed that i have "show pictures" etc and all settings are correct - I never touched them.

This is very distressing as I use these recons for everything I do, tracking bills, payments, health insurance costs and now all my back up / screen shots are gone.

Please advise how to fix this.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your question. I understand that images you’ve pasted into your workbook are disappearing even after saving the file.

I can imagine how stressful this is, especially since you rely on these snapshots to track bills, payments, and health‑related records.

This behavior can occur if the workbook is saved in a format that does not fully support embedded images, if the file is syncing with a cloud service while edits are still in progress, or if the workbook has become corrupted. Microsoft recommends confirming that the file is saved as an .xlsx workbook because older formats such as .xls can cause objects or pictures to be lost. You can also try copying the content into a new blank .xlsx file to rule out corruption. If you are using OneDrive or SharePoint, ensure that the file has fully synced before closing Excel, as incomplete syncs may result in missing objects. Updating Office to the latest build may also help, since recent fixes address issues with pasted images not rendering correctly.

Are you currently saving the workbook as an .xlsx file and storing it locally or on a cloud service such as OneDrive?

Feel free to share what you find or if the issue continues after trying these steps, and I’ll be glad to help you further.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best Regards,

Noel

 

Answer 2

It sounds like you are experiencing issues with images disappearing from your Excel spreadsheet after saving. This can happen due to a few reasons:

1. Image Compression: Excel may automatically compress images upon saving, which can lead to loss of quality or even disappearance if the images are not saved correctly. You can disable this feature by going to the Office Button > Save As > Tools > Compress Pictures and unchecking the option for automatic compression.
2. Temporary File Issues: Sometimes, Excel creates temporary files during the save process, and if something interrupts this process (like antivirus software), it may not save the images properly. Ensure that no other processes are interfering with Excel while you save your work.
3. File Format: Make sure you are saving your Excel file in a compatible format that supports images. The default .xlsx format should work, but if you are using an older format, consider switching to the latest version.
4. Excel Settings: Double-check your Excel settings to ensure that the option to show pictures is enabled. You mentioned that this is already set correctly, but it can be helpful to confirm again.

If the problem persists, consider reinstalling Excel or checking for updates, as there might be a bug affecting the image handling in your current version.

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References:

• Loss of image quality after you save in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint 2007
• Troubleshoot why Excel doesn't save changes