Microsoft KB Archive/93560

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Excel: Selecting Precedents Doesn't Select External References

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 1.x, 2.2, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0

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SUMMARY
Microsoft Excel only selects cell precedents (cells referred to by the active cell) when they occur on the same worksheet as the dependent cell; external references are ignored.

MORE INFORMATION
In Microsoft Excel you can select cell precedents by choosing Select Special from the Formula menu and selecting the Precedents option. This procedure selects all cells to which the formula in the current cell refers.

For example, if you have the formula =A1*B1+D1 in a cell and you select the precedents for that cell, Microsoft Excel selects cells A1, B1, and D1.

Any external references (that is, references to cells on different worksheets) are ignored because Microsoft Excel will not allow you to select cells on an inactive worksheet.