XL97: Option Button Link to Cell Is Lost After Copy and Paste

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

If you copy one or more option buttons that are linked to cells on a worksheet, and then paste the buttons onto another worksheet, the option buttons that you copied may no longer be linked to the cells. On the source worksheet, the Cell Link box in which you specified the linked cell for each option button is blank.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:

• You create a group box (click Group Box on the Forms toolbar) on a worksheet and add option buttons to it.

      -and-
  

• You link one or more option buttons in the group box to a worksheet cell by pressing CTRL while clicking the option button, clicking Control on the Format menu, and entering a cell reference in the Cell Link box.

      -and-
  

• You copy the option buttons the group box and the group box, and then paste them as a group onto another worksheet.

      -or-
  

• You copy the entire worksheet that contains the group box and the option buttons.

      -or-
  

• You copy the option buttons in the group box and paste them onto another worksheet and you then copy the group box and paste it on the worksheet around the option buttons so that the buttons are inside the group box.

WORKAROUND

As a workaround, switch to the source worksheet and specify the linked cell for one of the option buttons again. To do this, follow these steps:

1. While holding CTRL, click the option button.

2. Click Control on the Format menu.

3. Click the Control tab and type the cell reference in the Cell Link box.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

The problem does not occur when you do not create a group box and then copy option buttons as a group or when you paste the copied group box and option buttons on the same source worksheet.