XL5: GP Fault Adding Multiple Default Chart Formats

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, if you choose the Use Current Chart button multiple times on the Chart tab of the Options dialog box to create a default chart format, one of the following symptoms occurs if the XL5GALRY.XLS file is missing:

• You receive a general protection (GP) fault.

  -or-

• The data points on the current chart are changed to very small numbers, or no longer appear on the chart.

CAUSE

These problems occur when the XL5GALRY.XLS file is not located in the XLSTART subdirectory of your Microsoft Excel directory. These behaviors only occur if you use the Use Current Chart button multiple times, and you then select the first format name that you created before you choose OK in the Options dialog box.

The problem occurs because the Use Current Chart button incorrectly creates multiple names for the default chart using the format of the current chart if the XL5GALRY.XLS file is missing.

When you create a default chart format, using the current chart, you should only be able to add one name for the current chart. The last name that you enter for the chart format is the name that should be used. This is the behavior that occurs when the XL5GALRY.XLS file is correctly located in the XLSTART subdirectory. However, when this file is missing, the above behavior occurs when you add multiple custom formats using the Use Current Chart button.

WORKAROUNDS

To avoid these problems, do either of the following:

• Run the Microsoft Excel Setup program again, and choose the Reinstall installation option to restore the missing XL5GALRY.XLS file to the XLSTART subdirectory.

  -or-

• When you use the Use Current Chart button to add a custom format from the active chart, choose OK in the Options dialog box before you add another chart format using the Chart tab in the Options 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 a later version of Microsoft Excel.

MORE INFORMATION

The XL5GALRY.XLS file stores the Built-in chart format, and the MS Excel 4.0 chart format, as well as all of the custom auto-formats that you create. If it is missing, it is rebuilt when you add a custom chart format, either by using the Autoformat dialog box, or the Chart tab of the Options dialog box.

REFERENCES

For more information about Changing The Default Chart Format, choose the Search button in Help and type:

   default chart format

   chart autoformats