Microsoft KB Archive/84703

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Excel: Centering Across a Selection Fails
Last reviewed: July 8, 1996

Article ID: Q84703

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 4.0, 5.0
 * Microsoft Excel for Windows95, versions 7.0

SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel, when you center a text string across a given selection and the range selected is included in a larger selection that has already been formatted to have Center Across Selection alignment, the alignment is not updated to center across the new selection.

WORKAROUND
To center text over a smaller range of cells, you need to reset the alignment for the cells outside the smaller range to General. For example, to center &quot;This is a test&quot; over cells A1:C1 when it was originally centered over A1:D1, follow these steps:


 * 1) Select cell D1.
 * 2) From the Format menu, choose Alignment, then select the General Alignment option and choose OK.

The text is now centered across A1:C1 because the Center Across Selection alignment attribute no longer applies to D1.

MORE INFORMATION
Once a text string is centered across a given range, all cells in the range take on the attribute of Center Across Selection alignment. Because the range is contiguous, formatting for a smaller range does not affect the alignment attributes of the previous selection. Therefore, you cannot select a smaller range centered it.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above. We are researching this problem, and will post more information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.