Excel pasting value not formula

[zappedagain]

When I <Ctrl-C><ctrl-V) to copy a formula from one file to another file Excel 2007 is suddenly pasting the value instead of the formula. I only expect this operation when I <paste-special>. Did some setting get flipped somewhere that this is the new default?

Thanks,

Z

 

[electricpete]

fwiw, in Excel 2003, after you paste, does a little icon appear with "paste options", which controls the behavior.

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(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[zappedagain]

It shows a dialog that only controls the formatting options.

Oddly enough, even copying a cell within the worksheet isn't updating the links. If I copy cell C1 (content is '=B1') to cell C2, the result is '=B1' instead of '=B2'. Something is very broken.

 

[electricpete]

In my excel 2003 (no guarantee that applies to your excel), the little clipboard icon that appears after paste includes 8 options, one of which is "values only". If "values only" is selected, it is equivalen to paste values.



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(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[electricpete]

Another one of the choices is "link cells". If you check "link cells", then the copied cell formula continues to reference cell values from the original spreadsheet as input to formula calculation.

At any rate in 2003, we have lots of control over the method of copy (8 choices), and it's all controllable by that little clipboard icon.

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(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[davidbeach]

If you have one instance of excel open and both spreadsheets open in that single instance, you get formulas. If you have each spreadsheet open in its own, separate, instance of excel you get values.

 

[electricpete]

Ah. Good point. Experiment shows it works that way in 2003 as well. With two spreadsheets under same instance, you have the choices. Pasting among two different instances of excel, no choice at all.. only pastes values.

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(2B)+(2B)' ?

 

[zappedagain]

Thanks David, that seems like what is going on. Is it possible to open two spreadsheets in a single instance in 2007?

Z

PS I also noticed that when the two spreadsheets are open in separate instances you cannot use the Format Painter to copy info from one to another.

 

[davidbeach]

Yes, open one instance, and then from there open each of the files.

 

[IRstuff]

Open both and tile in the same window to see both at the same time


TTFN
faq731-376

 

[zappedagain]

That's just weird. Thanks for all your help!

Z

 

[rb1957]

"That's just weird" ... welcome to the world Bill built