XL: Odd Refresh Behavior After Specifying Conditional Format (213243)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 2000
  • Microsoft Excel 2002
This article was previously published under Q213243

For a Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows and Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition version of this article, see 156892.


SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you specify a conditional format that refers to a user-defined function, you may experience the following symptoms:
  • The screen stops updating.

    -or-

  • The screen redraws incorrectly.

    -or-

  • The message box reappears continuously after clicking OK.

    -or-

  • Selected cells blink.

    -or-

  • Excel stops responding (hangs).

CAUSE

This problem may occur when both of the following conditions are true:
  • You created a user-defined function that displays a message box.

    -and-

  • You specified a conditional format that refers to the user-defined function you created.

WORKAROUND

To have your screen refresh correctly, save and close the workbook. If the screen does not update correctly after closing the workbook, follow these steps:
  1. Quit Microsoft Excel.
  2. Open the workbook.
  3. Remove the conditional formatting that refers to the user-defined function.
  4. Save the workbook.
NOTE: In some cases, simply removing the message box from the function may eliminate the behavior described in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

REFERENCES

For more information about conditional formatting, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type conditional formatting in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

For additional information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

226118 OFF2000: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for Applications

Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/6/2003
Keywords:kbdtacode kbenv kbpending kbprb kbProgramming KB213243
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.