The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
SYMPTOMS
When you copy a merged cell and paste it, Microsoft Excel 97 fails to apply
the formatting of the original merged cell to the merged cell you pasted.
CAUSE
This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:
- You copy one merged cell, and then paste it into another merged
cell.
-and-
- The two merged cells are different sizes.
Note that this problem does not occur when you copy a merged cell and paste
it in a single, unmerged cell or in another merged cell that is exactly the
same size as the cell you copied.
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use the following steps:
- Click the first merged cell. On the Format menu, click Cells.
- For each tab that contains formatting that is applied to the cell, use
the following steps:
a. Click the tab.
b. Change the value of one option on the tab, and then reset it to
the original setting.
The selected options should be the same options that you
originally selected.
For example, in the Font tab, click the Strikethrough check box
twice.
NOTE: If the cell contains more than one type of formatting,
perform these steps for each tab that contains the formatting
options you selected.
c. Click OK.
- Click the second merged cell.
- On the Edit menu, click Repeat Format Cells.
The result is that the second merged cell is formatted exactly as the first
merged cell.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products
listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem
and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it
becomes available.
MORE INFORMATION
Microsoft Excel 97 allows you to merge a group of cells into a single cell.
To merge a group of cells, use the following steps:
- Select the cells that you want to merge.
- On the Format menu, click Cells. Click the Alignment tab.
- Select the Merge Cells check box, and then click OK.
When you copy a merged cell, you can paste it into a single cell, which is
merged with other cells to produce an identical merged cell, or you can
paste the cell into another merged cell.
If you paste the cell into another merged cell, formatting from the first
merged cell is not applied to the second merged cell if the merged cells
are different sizes.