XL: Cannot Remove Hyperlink from Merged Cell

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above, if you click Remove Link in the Edit Hyperlink dialog box, the hyperlink may not be removed from the selected cell.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:

1. You inserted a hyperlink into a cell by clicking Hyperlink on the Insert menu.

       -and-
   

2. You then merged the cell containing the hyperlink with other cells, either by clicking the Merge And Center tool on the Formatting toolbar, or by selecting the Merge Cells check box in the Alignment tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

       -and-
   

3. You then attempted to remove the hyperlink from the merged cell.

WORKAROUND

If this problem occurs, follow these steps to remove the hyperlink from the merged cell:

1. Right-click the merged cell. On the shortcut menu, click Format Cells. On the Macintosh, hold down CONTROL and click the merged cell.

2. On the Alignment tab, click to clear (uncheck) the Merge Cells check box, and click OK.

   The merged cell is unmerged into individual cells.

3. Right-click the cell that contains the hyperlink. On the shortcut menu, point to Hyperlink, and click Edit Hyperlink. On the Macintosh, hold down CONTROL and click the cell that contains the hyperlink.

4. Click Remove Link.

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 versions of Microsoft Excel listed above include a new feature that allows you to merge a group of cells into a single cell. To merge a group of cells, follow these steps:

1. Select the cells that you want to merge.

2. On the Format menu, click Cells. Select the Alignment tab.

3. Click to select (check) the Merge Cells check box, and then click OK.