Find and Extract Commands on Data Menu Do Not Work Correctly

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0a, 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for OS/2, versions 2.2 and 3.0

SYMPTOMS

When you choose Extract or Find from the Data menu in Microsoft Excel, the command may fail to work properly on subsequent use. This problem occurs even after the command worked on the initial attempt (even when you use the same search criteria).

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you use the SPACEBAR and ENTER keys to clear a criteria cell; using these keys leaves a space character in the cell. The space character is a valid search character. If none of the records in the database have a space in that criteria field, no matches will be found. Additional spaces before or after a criteria entry that is a text string also will cause incorrect results.

WORKAROUND

The avoid this problem, select the second row of the criteria field, choose Clear from the Edit menu, and select All. This procedure will clear all criteria fields at once.

To clear selected criteria fields but retain the other criteria fields:

1. Select the cell to be cleared.

2. Press the BACKSPACE key.

3. Press ENTER.