Microsoft KB Archive/157204

= XL97: Odd Behavior Using Format Painter and Merged Cells =

Article ID: 157204

Article Last Modified on 10/21/2000

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q157204



SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel 97, if you use the Format Painter tool to apply the "merged cells" format to a range of cells, values within that range may disappear suddenly and without warning.



CAUSE
This will occur if all the following conditions are true:


 * You merged a group of cells within a worksheet. -and-


 * You then selected another cell within the worksheet and clicked the Format Painter tool. -and-


 * Cells to the right of and/or below the selected cell contained values.



WORKAROUND
If this problem occurs, you can either


 * Click Undo Paste Special on the Edit menu. -or-


 * Follow these steps:


 * Click the Merge And Center tool on the Formatting toolbar.
 * Click OK. Then, click Cancel twice.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.



MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Excel 97 includes a new feature that allows you to merge a group of cells into a single cell. To merge a group of cells:


 * 1) Select the cells that you want to merge.
 * 2) On the Format menu, click Cells. Click the Alignment tab.
 * 3) Select the Merge Cells check box, and then click OK.

Normally, when you merge a group of cells, if more than one of the cells being merged contains values, you receive the following error message:

The selection contains multiple data values. Merging into one cell will keep the upper-left most data only.

If you merge a group of cells, click the Format Painter tool, and then click another cell, a similarly-sized group of cells, starting at the selected cell, are merged. You do not receive the error message shown above. Important: Values in those cells are lost unless you Undo the Paste Special.

