XL98: Error When Using Validation Drop-Down List Box

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, when you select a value in a validation drop-down list box, you may receive the following error message:

   The cell or chart you are trying to change is protected and therefore
   read-only.

CAUSE

This will occur if all of the following conditions are true:

• The validation drop-down list does not refer to a range of cells for its values, but instead contains the values directly.

  -and-

• The cell containing the validation drop-down list is locked.

  -and-

• The worksheet containing the cell is protected.

WORKAROUND

There are two possible workarounds for this problem: you can either unlock the cell that contains the validation drop-down list box, or you can set the validation drop-down list so that it refers to a range of cells, rather than directly containing its own values.

Method 1: Unlock the Cell Containing the Drop-Down List Box

To unlock the cell containing the drop-down list box, follow these steps:

1. If the worksheet in question is currently protected, click the Tools menu, point to Protection, and click Unprotect Sheet. If you are prompted for a password, enter it and click OK.

2. Select the cell that contains the validation drop-down list. On the Format menu, click Cells.

3. Select the Protection tab.

4. Clear the Locked check box and click OK.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 for any other cells in your worksheet that contain validation drop-down boxes.

6. Once all necessary cells have been unlocked, restore the protection on your worksheet. Point to Protection on the Tools menu, and click Protect Sheet (enter a password if necessary).

Method 2: Make Your List Refer to a Range of Cells

When you create a validation list box, you can either input a list of values

   One, Two, Three, Four

   A1: One
   A2: Two
   A3: Three
   A4: Four

To create a validation list that refers to a range of cells for its values, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell that is to contain a validation drop-down list box.

2. On the Data menu, click Validation.

3. Click the Settings tab.

4. In the Allow box, click "List." Click in the Source box, and then either use the mouse to select a range on the worksheet, or enter the range manually. The resulting entry in the Source box should resemble the following:

         =$A$1:$A$4
   

5. 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

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition includes a new feature called validation. You can use validation to make sure that users only enter specific values, or specific types of values, into cells in Microsoft Excel.

One validation option allows you to attach a drop-down list box to a cell when the cell is selected. If you use this option, users can only enter values in the cell that are contained within the list box. The list box can obtain its values from one of two sources: the list box can refer to a range of cells for its values, or it can contain them directly.

To create a validation drop-down list box that directly contains its own values, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell that is to contain a validation drop-down list box.

2. On the Data menu, click Validation.

3. Click the Settings tab.

4. In the Allow box, click "List." In the Source box, type a list of values, separated by commas. For example, type:

         One, Two, Three, Four
   

5. Click OK.

REFERENCES

For more information about validation lists in Microsoft Excel, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

   data validation, adding restrictions