Second sort key does not sort properly

[Gomer Fackworth]

I have a file that has a listing of a few thousand names with the Field Names:Last Name, First Name, Middle, etc. I select Last name as the first sort key and that sorts properly, but the First name second sort key does not. I have a sample of the output attached.MSs_idea_of_a_sort.rtf Please note Bachelder George and Walter, Bates Levi and George as well as JULIA and ORLANDO. I can understand, well no, not understand, but surmise that excel is case sensitive, but why can't it sort the rest of the list properly?

I have tried over and over to sort this. I read about formatting affecting sort and painted the format from one cell to all cells. Only slight changes have occurred, and still the miserable second key sort. Is this a bug in excel? I there a fix? Is there something I should be checking or setting that excel does not mention or ask about as so often happens with MS product?

And finally, a rhetorical question, why after 12+ years of using Lotus am I forced at my advanced age to use product that requires me to waste an inordinate amount of my precious time that is left on this planet trying to understand how to make it function? If any of you actually work for MS, please tell your boss that product that only looks pretty but requires constant maintenance is not some that makes one productive. I had a Jaquar XKE that was like that and everyone knew that on Saturday morning I would be in my garage tuning the carburetors. MS products are what I consider to be hell on earth because of this concern for looks over function.

Thank you for your help and for listening to me gripe.

[Anne Troy]

Sorting on one column does not auto-sort on all columns.

If you want this sorted alphabetically by all three columns, then you must tell it to use all 3 columns:

Data-->Sort.

First by Last Name, then by First Name, then by Middle initial...

I had no difficulty with your list.

Hope it helps!

[Gomer Fackworth]

I'm sorry Anne, what I sent you was the output of a sort using 3 keys, but thank you.

[Anne Troy]

Sorry, Gomer. I guess you've got it sorted then (pun intended)?

Perhaps you wanted to sort by more than 3?

http://www.officearticles.com/excel/sort_b...osoft_excel.htm