Microsoft KB Archive/157028

= XL97: Formatting and Cells May Be Lost When Pasting Merged Cells =

Article ID: 157028

Article Last Modified on 8/27/2002

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q157028





SYMPTOMS
When you copy a merged cell, select a destination cell or range of cells, and then use the Paste Special command, Microsoft Excel may paste the contents of the merged cell into a single cell in the destination range. In addition, Microsoft Excel may fail to apply the merged cell format to the destination cell range.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:


 * You select a merged cell that contains data.

-and-


 * You click Copy the Edit menu, select a destination cell or cell range, and click Paste Special on the Edit menu.

-and-


 * You select Values or Formulas in the Paste Special dialog box, and click OK.

NOTE: When you use the Paste Special command to paste formulas or values in a merged cell, Excel pastes the same values that would result had you removed the merge format from the cells before you copied them.



MORE INFORMATION
A merged cell is created by combining two or more selected cells. Excel places the upper-leftmost data in the selected range into the resulting merged cell. The upper-left cell contains the value or formula for the merged cells. For example, if you merge cells A1:A3, A1 contains the value of the merged cell, and cells A2 and A3 are empty.

