Microsoft KB Archive/291063

= XL2002: Error When Sorting a Range Containing Merged Cells =

Article ID: 291063

Article Last Modified on 11/25/2002

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q291063



For a Microsoft Excel 2001 or Microsoft Excel 98 version of this article, see 178966.

For a Microsoft Excel 2000 version of this article, see 212008.

For a Microsoft Excel 97 version of this article, see 157111.



SYMPTOMS
When you try to sort a range on a worksheet, you may receive the following message

This operation requires the merged cells to be identically sized.

and Microsoft Excel does not sort the range.



CAUSE
This behavior may occur when you sort a range of cells when the following conditions are true:
 * You previously merged some, but not all, cells in the sort range.

-or-
 * You previously merged all cells in the sort range, and the cells are not all the same size.



WORKAROUND
To work around this behavior, either unmerge all the merged cells in the range, or merge all the cells in the range such that the merged cells are the same size. Each merged cell in the range must occupy the same number of rows and columns as the other merged cells in the range.



MORE INFORMATION
To see an example of this behavior, follow these steps:   In a worksheet, type the following data:   A1:     B1:  Name      C1: Value A2:    B2:  Sue       C2: 1 A3:    B3:  Tom       C3: 2  Merge cells A1 and B1, A2 and B2, and A3 and B3. To do this, select each pair of cells, click Cells on the Format menu, click the Alignment tab, click to select the Merge cells check box, and click OK.

Do not merge cells in column C. Select cells A1:C3, click Sort on the Data menu, and click OK. In the Sort box, click OK.</ol>

You receive the error message described in the &quot;Symptoms&quot; section of this article.

Additional query words: merge sort range prb XL2002 OfficeErrorMessages 10035

Keywords: kberrmsg kbprb kbfaq KB291063

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