Excel 2002/2003 vlookup crash while typing 'false' argument

[X_HOBBES]

Excel has a tendency to crash while typing the word "false" as the
last argument in a vlookup function. Microsoft has not acknowledged
this issue in their knowledge base.

WHAT HAPPENS:
While typing a vlookup function such as "=vlookup(A2,'Sheet
2'!A:A,false)", immediately after typing the "f" in "false", Excel
will crash with the following error:

Identify Label
There is more than one cell with this label:
f
Select the cell containing the label to use:
alse
[OK] [Cancel]


No matter what is entered following, the following error will occur:

Microsoft Office Excel has encountered a problem
and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.

The information you were working on might be lost.
Microsoft Office Excel can try to recover it for you.

[X] Recover my work and restart Microsoft Office Excel

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.
We have created an error report that you can send to help
us improve Microsoft Office Excel.
We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

[Send Error Report] [Don't Send]


A WORKAROUND:
This is not a great workaround, but it does work. Excel appears to
crash after hitting the "f" keystroke. However, if you copy the text
"false" into the clipboard, then type the first part of the function,
such as
=vlookup(A2,'Sheet 2'!A:A,
and then paste the word "false" into the function. Excel will not
crash if the word "false" is pasted because the "f" keystroke has not
been pressed.

I've sent the error report to Microsoft many times for about one year,
but still have not seen anything posted in their knowledgebase.
Hopefully they will figure it out someday.

X_HOBBES

 

[Dave Peterson]

But does it happen in other formulas? In a cell all by itself?
In other worksheets?
In other workbooks?

My guess it happens in one workbook--maybe only one worksheet. I would guess
that the worksheet/workbook is corrupted and needs to be recreated. If I'm
right, I'd start doing it right away--while you still can get into the
worksheet/workbook.

And just as a very temporary fix (don't use it!), you can use 0 as false and 1
as true in your =vlookup()'s:

=vlookup(a1,sheet1!a1:b99,0)

====
But if I'm correct about the corrupted stuff, I wouldn't wait before recreating.

Excel has a tendency to crash while typing the word "false" as the
last argument in a vlookup function. Microsoft has not acknowledged
this issue in their knowledge base.

WHAT HAPPENS:
While typing a vlookup function such as "=vlookup(A2,'Sheet
2'!A:A,false)", immediately after typing the "f" in "false", Excel
will crash with the following error:

Identify Label
There is more than one cell with this label:
f
Select the cell containing the label to use:
alse
[OK] [Cancel]

No matter what is entered following, the following error will occur:

Microsoft Office Excel has encountered a problem
and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.

The information you were working on might be lost.
Microsoft Office Excel can try to recover it for you.

[X] Recover my work and restart Microsoft Office Excel

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.
We have created an error report that you can send to help
us improve Microsoft Office Excel.
We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

[Send Error Report] [Don't Send]

A WORKAROUND:
This is not a great workaround, but it does work. Excel appears to
crash after hitting the "f" keystroke. However, if you copy the text
"false" into the clipboard, then type the first part of the function,
such as
=vlookup(A2,'Sheet 2'!A:A,
and then paste the word "false" into the function. Excel will not
crash if the word "false" is pasted because the "f" keystroke has not
been pressed.

I've sent the error report to Microsoft many times for about one year,
but still have not seen anything posted in their knowledgebase.
Hopefully they will figure it out someday.

X_HOBBES

 

[Dave Peterson]

One more thought (maybe it's not corruption).

Try turning off:

tools|Options|Calculation Tab|Accept labels in formulas

(but I would hope that even with this on, the worse excel would do is give you
an error--not crash!)

Excel has a tendency to crash while typing the word "false" as the
last argument in a vlookup function. Microsoft has not acknowledged
this issue in their knowledge base.

WHAT HAPPENS:
While typing a vlookup function such as "=vlookup(A2,'Sheet
2'!A:A,false)", immediately after typing the "f" in "false", Excel
will crash with the following error:

Identify Label
There is more than one cell with this label:
f
Select the cell containing the label to use:
alse
[OK] [Cancel]

No matter what is entered following, the following error will occur:

Microsoft Office Excel has encountered a problem
and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.

The information you were working on might be lost.
Microsoft Office Excel can try to recover it for you.

[X] Recover my work and restart Microsoft Office Excel

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.
We have created an error report that you can send to help
us improve Microsoft Office Excel.
We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

[Send Error Report] [Don't Send]

A WORKAROUND:
This is not a great workaround, but it does work. Excel appears to
crash after hitting the "f" keystroke. However, if you copy the text
"false" into the clipboard, then type the first part of the function,
such as
=vlookup(A2,'Sheet 2'!A:A,
and then paste the word "false" into the function. Excel will not
crash if the word "false" is pasted because the "f" keystroke has not
been pressed.

I've sent the error report to Microsoft many times for about one year,
but still have not seen anything posted in their knowledgebase.
Hopefully they will figure it out someday.

X_HOBBES

 

[X_HOBBES]

Dave,

Thanks for both great responses. After I posted my last message, I
also discovered that "0" can be used instead of "false" in a vlookup
function (0=false, 1=true).

Example: instead of: =vlookup(A2,'Sheet2'!A:A,1,false)
use this: =vlookup(A2,'Sheet2'!A:A,1,0)

This problem occurs in any random worksheet (haven't found a
cause/pattern yet for when it happens). I notice it more because I
use Excel extensively to analyze/correct sets of data in a database
(export to Excel, work with client to fix issues, re-import). I've
noticed a *few* other posts with this same issue. The frequency of
the problem is probably about 5%-10% of the time I type the vlookup
command, but thanks to your suggestion of using "0" instead of
"false", it won't happen again. =-)

Thanks,
X_HOBBES

One more thought (maybe it's not corruption).

Try turning off:

tools|Options|Calculation Tab|Accept labels in formulas

(but I would hope that even with this on, the worse excel would do is give you
an error--not crash!)

Excel has a tendency to crash while typing the word "false" as the
last argument in a vlookup function. Microsoft has not acknowledged
this issue in their knowledge base.

WHAT HAPPENS:
While typing a vlookup function such as "=vlookup(A2,'Sheet
2'!A:A,false)", immediately after typing the "f" in "false", Excel
will crash with the following error:

Identify Label
There is more than one cell with this label:
f
Select the cell containing the label to use:
alse
[OK] [Cancel]

No matter what is entered following, the following error will occur:

Microsoft Office Excel has encountered a problem
and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.

The information you were working on might be lost.
Microsoft Office Excel can try to recover it for you.

[X] Recover my work and restart Microsoft Office Excel

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.
We have created an error report that you can send to help
us improve Microsoft Office Excel.
We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

[Send Error Report] [Don't Send]

A WORKAROUND:
This is not a great workaround, but it does work. Excel appears to
crash after hitting the "f" keystroke. However, if you copy the text
"false" into the clipboard, then type the first part of the function,
such as
=vlookup(A2,'Sheet 2'!A:A,
and then paste the word "false" into the function. Excel will not
crash if the word "false" is pasted because the "f" keystroke has not
been pressed.

I've sent the error report to Microsoft many times for about one year,
but still have not seen anything posted in their knowledgebase.
Hopefully they will figure it out someday.

X_HOBBES

 

[Dave Peterson]

I think you just put a bandaid on a problem that hasn't been fixed.

I'd keep searching for the real solution.

If you open excel in Safe mode:
close excel
windows start button|run|
Excel /safe

does it happen there?

If yes, I'd think about a Help|detect and repair (xl2k or higher) or
reinstalling.

Dave,

Thanks for both great responses. After I posted my last message, I
also discovered that "0" can be used instead of "false" in a vlookup
function (0=false, 1=true).

Example: instead of: =vlookup(A2,'Sheet2'!A:A,1,false)
use this: =vlookup(A2,'Sheet2'!A:A,1,0)

This problem occurs in any random worksheet (haven't found a
cause/pattern yet for when it happens). I notice it more because I
use Excel extensively to analyze/correct sets of data in a database
(export to Excel, work with client to fix issues, re-import). I've
noticed a *few* other posts with this same issue. The frequency of
the problem is probably about 5%-10% of the time I type the vlookup
command, but thanks to your suggestion of using "0" instead of
"false", it won't happen again. =-)

Thanks,
X_HOBBES

One more thought (maybe it's not corruption).

Try turning off:

tools|Options|Calculation Tab|Accept labels in formulas

(but I would hope that even with this on, the worse excel would do is give you
an error--not crash!)

Excel has a tendency to crash while typing the word "false" as the
last argument in a vlookup function. Microsoft has not acknowledged
this issue in their knowledge base.

WHAT HAPPENS:
While typing a vlookup function such as "=vlookup(A2,'Sheet
2'!A:A,false)", immediately after typing the "f" in "false", Excel
will crash with the following error:

Identify Label
There is more than one cell with this label:
f
Select the cell containing the label to use:
alse
[OK] [Cancel]

No matter what is entered following, the following error will occur:

Microsoft Office Excel has encountered a problem
and needs to close.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.

The information you were working on might be lost.
Microsoft Office Excel can try to recover it for you.

[X] Recover my work and restart Microsoft Office Excel

Please tell Microsoft about this problem.
We have created an error report that you can send to help
us improve Microsoft Office Excel.
We will treat this report as confidential and anonymous.

[Send Error Report] [Don't Send]

A WORKAROUND:
This is not a great workaround, but it does work. Excel appears to
crash after hitting the "f" keystroke. However, if you copy the text
"false" into the clipboard, then type the first part of the function,
such as
=vlookup(A2,'Sheet 2'!A:A,
and then paste the word "false" into the function. Excel will not
crash if the word "false" is pasted because the "f" keystroke has not
been pressed.

I've sent the error report to Microsoft many times for about one year,
but still have not seen anything posted in their knowledgebase.
Hopefully they will figure it out someday.

X_HOBBES

 

[pcbins]

I started having this problem a few months ago. I am surprised that your posting was almost 5 years ago and people are still having trouble with it.

I use the VLookup function so often that the "false" just comes out of habit sometimes and crashes my spreadsheet.

I had found my own work-around by clicking on the fx option before the formula text box and filling in the "false" from there.

I will try the "0" instead and I hope it becomes a habit soon, in stead of the "false".

My current employer insists we use Microsoft Office software for working with our large and numerous collections of data, so naturally I curse the name of Bill Gates everyday I come into work and have to deal with it.

Does anyone know if there is a "hotfix" for this issue yet? Or should I give them another 5 years to work on it?