XL: Error Copying and Using Paste Special Command on Same Sheet

ID: Q176838

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

When you try to use the Paste Special command in the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, you may receive the following error message:

   This operation requires the merged cells to be identically sized.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if the following conditions are true:

You copy data from a range of cells that contains merged cells.
```
    -and-
```
You attempt to paste the values only (click Paste Special on the Edit menu and click Values) on the same sheet from which you copied the values.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

 1. Select the merged cells that are in the range you want to copy.

 2. On the Format menu, click Cells, and then click the Alignment tab.

 3. Click to clear the Merge cells check box and click OK.

    Note the range of cells that you selected.

 4. Select the entire range you want to copy.

 5. On the Edit menu, click Copy.

 6. Select the range of cells in which you want to paste the values.

 7. On the Edit menu, click Paste Special. Click Values, and then click

OK.

 8. Select the cells that you noted in step 3.

 9. On the Format menu, click Cells, and then click the Alignment tab.

10. Click the Merge cells check box and click OK.

STATUS

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

REFERENCES

For more information about using the Copy and Paste commands, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

   copying, cell

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "move or copy data" topic.

Additional query words: XL97

Version           : WINDOWS:97; MACINTOSH:98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: January 7, 1999