Excel 2007 : Conditional fromatting when ANY cell as text/numbers within

Hi, I've used this forum (linked from google) several times to help me find solutions (or, as has been the case a fair few times, that what I'm trying to do isn't actually possible) and I've decided that it would probably be quicker to just join and ask questions directly.

I'll also point out that unfortunately I am having to use Excel 2010 as that's what my workplace recently upgraded to, and I could not find a specific subforum to post in. Is it a major problem if I ask questions here?

For now I'll presume, prehaps wrongly, that I can post here and get on with it.

Quest 1;

I recently found out about conditional formatting (the excel feature in a Long time that has made me smile). One of the problems I am trying to resolve is that of highlighting an entire row, IF several specific cells don't have any data in them, IF at least one cell in the specific row Does have data within it.

So far I can do the first part with this formula;

=OR($B6="",$C6="",$G6="",$I6="",$L6="",$N6="")
(If there's a way of shortening this be my guest and enlighten me because I have no clue)
But I need to put that into another equation that decides whether that row is actually in use (has data in any of the cells) and if not then leave it as is.

I have fiddled around with formulas involving NOTs, IFs & ISBLANKs (I was originally looking for a NOR but found out there wasn't one) but can't get anything to work.

Extra info; it could be number OR text that is in any of the cells so I can't use ISTEXT/NUMBER unless there's another IS that encorporates text and numbers, rather than me us NOT(ISBLANK) which hasn't worked once?

Thanks in advance for any help,

Ben

P.S. I appologise if there's any problems with anything I've said; I have rushed a bit as it's a Saturday and I'd like to go home at some point, but can't until issues are solved!
P.P.S. Yes, the thread is meant to be called 'Conditional fromatting when ANY cell Has text/numbers within'..

Originally Posted by Bob Phillips

Try <> instead of =

Thanks for the reply Bob,

Seemed promising at first but it doesn't work;

Rather than becoming highlighted when Some information, but not All required information, is put into cells, the row just starts off being highlighted and becomes un-highlighted when information is placed in any of the cells specified in the formula.

Also, the highlighting does not return when all information is filled in (when the initial problem is fixed the opposite to this should happen, that is the highlighting should remove itself).

Any further ideas?

Edit; I just tried it without the NOT part of the formula. The first problem has been cured; the highlighting only appears when information is entered into one of the specified boxes. The 2nd problem is still present, the highlight does not disappear after all required information is entered.