Excel: Autofill Restarts at Zero after Text 65535

 Last reviewed: November 29, 1994
Article ID: Q81560
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, version 4.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When using the autofill feature of Microsoft Excel to fill a text and number combination beyond the number 65535, Microsoft Excel will restart the numbering at zero.

CAUSE

This is a limitation of the autofill feature. It does not affect the autofill of numbers, only text and number combinations.

STATUS

This limitation does not exist in later versions of Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUND

To work around this limitation, concatenate a column of text and a column of numbers together as in the following example:

  1. Enter the letter "F" into cells A1:A4.

  2. Enter the number 65535 into cell B1.

  3. Select B1:B4, choose Series from the Data menu, and click OK.

  4. Enter the formula "=A1&B1" into cell C1 and fill it down to C4 with direct manipulation or the Fill Down command on the Edit menu.

  5. Select C1:C4 and choose Edit Copy.

  6. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special, select the Values option, and choose OK.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

  1. Enter "F 65534" into cell A1

  2. Select cell A1, do a direct manipulation fill down to cell A4.

Cell A2 will contain "F 65535", cell A3 will contain "F 0", and cell A4 will contain "F 1".

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Excel User's Guide 1," version 4.0, pages 122-130

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 4.0 4.00 auto fill

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Last reviewed: November 29, 1994
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