Recorded native Excel test · 28 October 2026
What remained after Document Inspector.
In this fictional workbook, a cell still held text after Excel’s offered removals and a save. Its number format made it look blank. Workbook Inspector reported it.
The claim this test supports
On Windows desktop Excel 16.0.20527.20088, Document Inspector did not report the text suppressed by the ;;; format at Summary!B12. After its offered removals and a save, that text remained. Workbook Inspector reported it as Hidden content.
This is a result for this file and Excel build, not a claim about every workbook or Excel version. The comparison used Workbook Inspector 0.2.0-phase4-fixes.20261028.1. Current reports may look different.
What each tool reported
| Item | Excel Document Inspector | After removal and save | Workbook Inspector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hidden fictional staff sheet | Reported a hidden worksheet. | The sheet was removed. | Reported the original hidden sheet. |
Text hidden by ;;; at Summary!B12 | No message identified this suppressed text. | The stored text and concealment remained. | Hidden content, before and after removal. |
| Old names stored behind a broken chart | A links-to-other-files warning remained. | The old names disappeared during an ordinary Excel save. | We do not claim these names survived cleanup. |
Document Inspector did not give the cleaned file an all-clear: the external-link warning remained. The historical Workbook Inspector scan also declared a chart-reference inspection gap. Neither result is a safety certificate.
Try the same files
Both files contain invented staff information. The downloads are unchanged copies of the recorded test files.
- Inspect each download with Workbook Inspector Free. No account is needed.
- Look for the Hidden content finding at Summary!B12 in the Excel-cleaned copy.
- To repeat the Excel side, use a separate copy in the named desktop build, select every Document Inspector category, apply the offered removals, save and inspect again. Record differences if you use another build.
Evidence you can check
- Recorded Document Inspector wording before removal
- Recorded wording after saving and reopening the cleaned copy
- File hashes, scanner build and exact B12 findings before and after removal
The broader run used two previously known fictional test workbooks. It was not a representative survey of FOI releases or a new blind accuracy test. Ordinary save-only controls helped distinguish recalculation and saving from Document Inspector’s removal actions.