XL: Label Missing from Upper-Left Corner of Consolidation Table

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, if you use the Consolidate command to summarize data from two or more worksheets, the label may be missing from the upper-left corner of the consolidation table. For example, the table may appear as follows

             Number
   Alpha     5
   Bravo     7
   Charlie   9

   Name      Number
   Alpha     5
   Bravo     7
   Charlie   9

CAUSE

This problem occurs when you create the consolidation table and you select both the Top Row and Left Column check boxes under "Use labels in" in the Consolidate dialog box.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, follow these steps:

1. Select the consolidation table.

2. On the Data menu, click Consolidate.

3. Click to clear both the Top Row check box and the Left Column check box. Then, click OK.

4. On the Data menu, click Consolidate. Click to select the Top Row check box, and then click OK.

5. On the Data menu, click Consolidate. Click to select the Left Column check box, and then click OK.

To prevent this problem from occurring when you create a new consolidation table, select only ONE of the two check boxes (Top Row or Left Column) when you create the table. Then, click Consolidate on the Data menu, select the other check box, and then click OK.

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

The Consolidate feature in Microsoft Excel allows you summarize data from multiple, identically arranged tables. To see an example that uses the Consolidate feature and demonstrates problem described in the "Symptoms" section in this article, follow these steps:

1. In Microsoft Excel, create a new workbook. Enter the following values in the specified worksheets:

         Sheet1                     Sheet2
         ------------------------   ------------------------
   
         A1: Name      B1: Number   A1: Name      B1: Number
         A2: Alpha     B2: 1        A2: Alpha     B2: 4
         A3: Bravo     B3: 2        A3: Bravo     B3: 5
         A4: Charlie   B4: 3        A4: Charlie   B4: 6
   
   

2. Click Sheet3, and then select cell A1.

3. On the Data menu, click Consolidate. In the Consolidate dialog box, follow these steps:

       a. Click Sheet1. Select the cell range A1:B4. Click Add.
   

       b. Click Sheet2. Select the cell range A1:B4. Click Add.
   

       c. Click to select both the Top Row and the Left Column check boxes in
          the dialog box.
   

       d. Click OK.
   

   A1:           B1: Number
   A2: Alpha     B2: 5
   A3: Bravo     B3: 7
   A4: Charlie   B4: 9

Note also that the label "Name" is missing from cell A1. If you follow the steps in the "Workaround" section, the missing label appears correctly, for example:

   A1: Name      B1: Number
   A2: Alpha     B2: 5
   A3: Bravo     B3: 7
   A4: Charlie   B4: 9