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'Too many different cell formats' Error

resolvedResolved · Low Priority · Version 2010

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'Too many different cell formats' Error

Hello,
I'm currently getting the same error whenever I try and format a document that says 'Too many different cell formats'. I tried googling to find a fix but all the pages just seemed to want to sell me a plug in to fix it - is this something that is easily fixed at all? It's driving me bonkers.
Thanks! Jan

RE: 'Too many different cell formats' Error

Hi Jan,

Thank you for the forum question.

You get the error because the workbook contains more than 64,000 different combinations of cell formats. A combination is defined as a unique set of formatting elements that are added to a cell. A combination includes all font formatting (typeface, font size, italic, bold, and underline), borders (for example: location, weight, and colour), cell patterns, number formatting, alignment, and cell protection.

I read about a fix. If you copy the whole sheet and paste it as text in another sheet and only add needed formatting.

Another web sites suggested to open the name manager on the formulas tab and see if Excel has created references to formatted cells. There is a bug in Excel. Excel can create a lot of useless references we can find in the name manager. Specially if you have moved worksheets between workbooks.

I hope this can help you.

Kind regards

Jens Bonde
Microsoft Office Specialist Trainer

Tel: 0207 987 3777

www.stl-training.co.uk
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Tue 10 Feb 2015: Automatically marked as resolved.

 

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Excel tip:

Trace Dependents / Precedents without the blue arrows

Rather than using the toolbar you can press CTRL+] which is the equivelent of trace dependants and CTRL+[ for precendants. Both of these ways though will not show the blue arrows but jump to the cell containing the formula.

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