I have found an issue with the filter drop-down list in Excel 2010. I have now been upgraded (by my employee) to Excel 2013 and same problem still exists.
Problem: I highlight the row containing the column headings; then click on filter (available via the Home tab); then click on the down arrow in the column of interest (in this case "Council Names" column); the drop-down window appears but not all council names are displayed in the selection list, even though those council names are still in the list. I am aware of the 10,000 option limit with the selection list, but my spread sheet has well under 10,000 rows (unless there is something hidden that I do not know about).
I have found work-arounds for the problem by searching google for answers to similar problems. I have also spoken to my employee's IT HelpDesk. I will explain the work-arounds I have found below. However, my main concerns now are:
(1) What is the cause of the problem? Is there are better fix that addresses the cause, rather than having to use work-arounds?
(2) Is the issue an indication that the spread sheet has been corrupted in some way? - I need assurance that this is not an indication that the spread sheet is unstable and such problems could multiply or already be existing. (The reason I ask this is that I had an earlier version of the same spread sheet where the problem did not occur, but it appeared in a later copy - could the copying of the sheet/workbook have caused the problem?)
Workarounds found:
(1) Select the entire sheet, then select the filter button in Home tab
(2) select all the columns manually (click in top left cell and drag down until all data selected), then select filter button
(3) Ensure all rows in the column of interest are filled in, then select filter button
I would really appreciate any answers/assistance.