Error Message: Microsoft Excel Cannot Find a Match (813971)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Office Excel 2003

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Office Excel 2003, when you click Replace in the Find and Replace dialog box to replace text that exists in your worksheet, you may receive the following error message:
Microsoft Excel cannot find a match.
Note This problem may occur even when the text that you want to replace does exist in the worksheet.

CAUSE

This problem may occur if both of the following conditions are true:
  • The active cell does not contain a match.
  • You do not click Find Next or Find All before you click Replace in the Find and Replace dialog box.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Use Replace All

Note Use this method only if you want to replace all matches in the workbook.
  1. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
  2. In the Find and Replace dialog box, type the text that you want to be replaced in the Find what box.
  3. In the Replace with box, type the text that you want to replace the original text.
  4. Click Replace All.

Method 2: Use Find and Replace

  1. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
  2. In the Find and Replace dialog box, type the text that you want to be replaced in the Find what box.
  3. In the Replace with box, type the text that you want to replace the original text.
  4. Click Find Next.
  5. If you want to replace the text, click Replace and Excel automatically finds the next instance of the text to be replaced.
  6. If you do not want to replace the text, click Find Next to locate the next instance of the text to be replaced.

Method 3: Manually Find the First Instance of the Text to Be Replaced

  1. Select a cell that contains the text that you want to replace.
  2. On the Edit menu, click Replace.
  3. In the Find and Replace dialog box, type the text that you want to be replaced in the Find what box.
  4. In the Replace with box, type the text that you want to replace the original text.
  5. Click Find Next.
  6. If you want to replace the text, click Replace and Excel automatically finds the next instance of the text to be replaced.
  7. If you do not want to replace the text, click Find Next to locate the next instance of the text to be replaced.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:1/11/2006
Keywords:kbprb kbpending kbBug kberrmsg KB813971
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