XL: Note or Comment Doesn't Appear When Cell Is in PivotTable

• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, the following problems may occur:

• If a cell contains a note or a comment, the note or comment indicator does not appear in the cell even though note and comment indicators appear in other cells.
• If you move the mouse pointer over a cell that contains a note or a comment, the note or comment does not appear on the screen.

CAUSE

These problems occur if the cell that contains the note or comment also contains a PivotTable row field, column field, or page field. These fields usually appear as shaded "buttons" in a PivotTable.

WORKAROUND

Although the note or comment and its indicator do not appear in the cell, you can view the note or comment by editing it.

Microsoft Excel Versions 7.0 and 7.0a

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell that contains the note.

2. On the Insert menu, click Note.

3. When you are finished viewing the note, click OK or Close.

Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. Select a cell that is adjacent to the cell that contains the comment. Then, use the arrow keys on the keyboard to select the cell that contains the comment.

2. On the Insert menu, click Edit Comment.

3. When you are finished viewing the comment, dismiss the comment by selecting any cell in the worksheet.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, you can insert a note or a comment into a cell by selecting the cell and clicking either Note or Comment on the Insert menu. You can edit an existing note or comment by selecting the cell and clicking either Note or Edit Comment on the Insert menu.

Usually, when you insert a note or a comment into a cell, a small red marker appears in the upper right corner of the cell, and the note or comment appears on the screen when you move the mouse pointer over the cell.

However, if the cell contains a PivotTable field, the indicator does not appear, and the note or comment does not appear when you move the pointer over the cell.