XL97: Calculation Stops at Zero Percent or Occurs Very Slowly

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When formulas in a workbook are calculated, the status bar displays "Calculating 0%" and appears to stop responding (hang) or takes several minutes to finish calculating. If you press CTRL+ALT+F9 to recalculate formulas in the workbook, the formulas are not completely calculated.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you create a complex workbook with many formulas that contain references to other worksheets in the workbook. For example, the problem occurs when a formula in Sheet1 refers to Sheet2 in a formula similar to the following:

   =Sheet2!A1

WORKAROUND

To correct this problem, install Microsoft Excel 97 Service Release 1 (SR-1).

To work around this problem and fully calculate the workbook and speed up the calculation time, rename the sheets in the workbook. To rename the worksheets, follow these steps:

1. With the workbook open, double-click the sheet tab name for the first worksheet.

2. Type a new name for the selected sheet.

3. Follow steps 1 and 2 for each of the worksheets in the workbook.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 97. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel SR-1.

For additional information about SR-1, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q172475
   TITLE     : OFF97: How to Obtain and Install MS Office 97 SR-1