XL: Formula Not Updated When You Click in Worksheet

ID: Q187996

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

If you modify a cell that is a dependent cell of a formula in Microsoft Excel and you do one of the following 

   In Microsoft Excel for Windows:

   You right-click another cell before you press ENTER or before you click
   Enter (check) on the formula bar. The shortcut menu for cells appears.

   In Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh:

   You hold down the CONTROL key and click on another cell before you
   press ENTER, RETURN, or before you click Enter (check) on the formula
   bar. The shortcut menu for cells appears.
The formula is not updated even when the calculation setting is Automatic.

NOTE: The formula updates when you type something in the workbook and calculation proceeds normally once the workbook is calculated.

RESOLUTION

Press F9 to calculate all open workbooks, including data tables and all open charts.

STATUS

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

MORE INFORMATION

Example

To see an example of the problem that is described in this article, follow these steps:

1. Start Microsoft Excel and create a new workbook.

2. Type the following in the new worksheet: 

      A1: a
      A2: =A1
3. Type "b" (without the quotation marks) in A1, but do not press ENTER or 
   click Enter (check) on the formula bar.
4. In Microsoft Excel for Windows, use the right mouse button 
   (right-click) to click C3. In Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, hold
   down the CONTROL key and click C3. You will see the shortcut menu for a
   cell.
Note that the formula in A2 does not update. Press F9 or type something else in the worksheet to update the formula.

Additional query words: XL97 

Keywords          : kbdta xlformula 
Version           : MACINTOSH:5.0; WINDOWS:5.0,7.0,97
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: January 8, 1999