Excel 2003 keeps adding conditional formatting by itself

[weatherman23]

Hi

I have a fairly simple spreadsheet, which some cells have conditional
formatting. It was created in Excel 97. However I noticed that in
Excel 2003, entering data in blank unformatted cells, that data often
takes on the conditional formatting of adjacent cells.

I have managed to replicate this in a very simple spreadsheet, just a
column of 4 numbers, to which conditional formatting is applied where
if the numbers are between 2 and 4 it shows as red bold font. I then
go to the cell below the last number I added the formatting to. I
check the Conditional Formatting status of that cell from the Format
menu, and it says there is no conditional formatting. Then I enter a
number (3) in that cell. It takes on the special formatting set in the
cells above! I then check the condiional formatting and it has changed
from none to that of the cells above. Proximity to the cells seems to
be important as if i type in a cell remote from the ones with the CF
then all is fine.


This behaviour isn't seen in Excel 97.

I thought it might have been an Autocomplete setting but I have that
turned off.

Can anyone else confirm the behaviour with the simple case above, or
even better, explain what is going on? Is it a bug?

TKSIA

Stuart

 

[Dave Peterson]

Look under:
tools|Options|edit tab
Uncheck the "extend data range formats and formulas" checkbox.

 

[weatherman23]

Thanks Dave that seems to have worked. A very confusing well hidden
new option enabled by default in Excel 2003! (new to Excel 97 users
anyway)

Stuart