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Excel 2008 : Data validation problem

  1. #1
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    Data validation problem

    I am using Excel 2008 for Mac, and I am struggling with data validation. I am new to this area of Excel so apologies if I use the wrong terminology, but I will try and be as clear as possible!

    I have a spreadsheet which is set up like this:

    Column A: data from a drop-down list pulled from a named range in another sheet
    Column B: needs to have data pulled from other named ranges in the other sheet based on what is selected in column A. At the moment this is set up by using Data Validation and setting it to allow a list, then using =INDIRECT(A1) in the Source box. This seems to work.

    But somewhere along the line it has got a bit mucked up further down the sheet, and the =INDIRECT reference is pointing to lines which are miles down the spreadsheet. Is there any way of copying this down over rows, so that the cell reference increments by 1 row? I have tried using the 'apply to all other cells with similar settings' but it only seems to work on the next few rows.

    I think there may be an issue with the data validation process itself, as when I open up the box from the menu i get an error sound and it jumps to a different line than the one which was selected when I opened it. Has anyone else encountered this issue?

    I hope that someone can make sense of this, and can help me!

  2. #2
    Forum Expert NBVC's Avatar
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    Re: Data validation problem

    If you reselect the range you are applying the data validation to... and re-create the validation with

    =Indirect(A1) where A1 is top most reference to the top most cell you selected.. then it should increment the A1 to the proceeding cells automatically...

    Have you tried that.
    Where there is a will there are many ways.

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    Re: Data validation problem

    That does seem to have worked, thank you! Can i ask another question? When i select a cell and go into the Data Validation window to check where it is referencing, it makes a double error sound, and selects a line, seemingly arbitrarily, and puts the dashed moving lines around some of the cells in it, as you would get when you copy and paste. The cell i selected is still selected but I need to scroll away from this other line to find it. Does anyone know why this is?

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    Re: Data validation problem

    Off-hand I am not sure exactly what the problem is....

    Is there an error in the referenced cell? Or is there actually a named range named the same as the entry in the named cell?

    Maybe, if you can post a sample workbook that shows the problem, it could more easily be tested and determined what the problem might be.

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    Re: Data validation problem

    Thanks for your help. it seems to be working now, apart from the annoying beeping/jumping around, so I will persevere with it as it is, when I have more time I will post an example and see if it can be identified. Just wondered if it was a well-known issue with 2008 as I've never come across it before.

    Thanks again for such a quick response.

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    Re: Data validation problem

    There are a few Mac users on the forum... hopefully, if they come across this thread and know of this "glitch" they can assist.... it might not be a glitch and just something setup incorrectly, that's why it would be better to see the workbook.

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    Re: Data validation problem

    Is your validation source on a different sheet? If so, you will get the error sound and then the equivalent range on the current sheet highlighted.
    Everyone who confuses correlation and causation ends up dead.

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    Re: Data validation problem

    Is that a Mac thing, romper, or am I not understanding. I assume if the data validation works, then the OP has correctly created the named range on the other sheet.... I don't get that error sound or highlighting...

  9. #9
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    Re: Data validation problem

    On Windows Excel, you should get the correct sheet and range selected (when you click in the Source box) without the error noise.

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