MXL: Changing Currency Symbol in Numbers Control Panel

ID: Q114537

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0
Apple Macintosh System Software versions 7.1, 7.5

SYMPTOMS

If you are using Microsoft Excel with System 7.1 or 7.5, and you modify the Currency Symbol in the Numbers control panel, the following problems may occur:

When you open a file in Microsoft Excel, you receive the following error message:
```
      File error: some number formats may have been lost
```
```
    -and-
```
When you open a worksheet and attempt to change the number format, you receive the error message:
```
      Number Format is too long
```
NOTE: This problem does not occur if you use the ";;;" custom number format or the General format.
```
    -and-
```
When you enter text into a cell, your computer stops responding (hangs), and you must restart your computer.

When you start Microsoft Excel version 3.0, your computer may stop responding, and you to have to restart your computer or press CTRL+OPTION+ESC to quit.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs if you open the Numbers control panel and you remove the value in the Currency Symbol box or you type a space in this box.

NOTE: This problem does not occur if you change the value in the Currency Symbol box to another character, such as the asterisk (*) character, or if you move the currency symbol to the right of the value instead of to the left. This problem occurs only if no value is displayed in the Symbol box under Currency in the Numbers control panel.

WORKAROUND

If you are using Microsoft Excel version 4.0 or earlier under System 7.1 or 7.5, do not change the Currency Symbol setting in the Numbers control panel. Instead, edit or customize the numbers directly in Microsoft Excel by using the Number Format dialog box.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for the Macintosh.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about problems that you may encounter in Microsoft Excel when you modify settings in the Numbers control panel, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q128001
   TITLE     : MXL: "List and Decimal Separators Are Identical" Error

Additional query words: 3.00 4.00 dollar freeze lockup lock up lockups error hang crash reboot XL3 XL4

Keywords          : kbenv xlmac 
Version           : MACINTOSH:3.0,4.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: May 29, 1998