Changing format

[Marcia Kaplan]

I recently bought Office X and started using Excel. I cannot change any
type of format. When I attempt to format a cell in any way, I get a message, "
Enter a different value. Your entry cannot be used. Try entering an integer or
decimal number." This happens if I am trying to add a border, or change a
color, any change, and whether there is text or a number in the cell.
Similarly if I try to change the font size using the toolbar, e.g. changing from
10 to 12 point, I get a message, "Font size must be between 1 and 409."
This is really strange.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I recently bought Office X and started using Excel. I cannot change any
type of format. When I attempt to format a cell in any way, I get a message,
"
Enter a different value. Your entry cannot be used. Try entering an integer
or
decimal number." This happens if I am trying to add a border, or change a
color, any change, and whether there is text or a number in the cell.
Similarly if I try to change the font size using the toolbar, e.g. changing
from
10 to 12 point, I get a message, "Font size must be between 1 and 409."
This is really strange.

Wow.

The first problem I've seen with WinXL - with no definitive solutions.
reinstalling the printer driver helped in one case, but I suspect that
was coincidence. Rubbing chicken bones on the monitor was about as
effective.

The latter I've seen in previous versions of MacXL, but not v.X, so I
can't help much there either.

You don't say what OS version you're using, but the first thing I'd do
is use Software Update to see if there are any OS updates you need.

The next thing I'd recommend is to set your print quality to High in the
File/Page Setup dialog. This is per the MS Knowledge Base, and while the
symptoms aren't exactly as you describe, the error message is:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;321388

If that doesn't work, I'm going to recommend something draconian:

1) Run the Remove Office application found in the Value Pack folder of
your installation CD.

2) Reinstall Office. Don't start up yet.

3) Apply any *necessary* updates from Mactopia downloads:

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/downloads.aspx

The required updates are 10.1.2, 10.1.4 and 10.1.5, but if you bought
your software recently, you may have one or more already applied. Do a
Get Info on the Office Components Plugin file in the Micorosoft Office
X:Office folder to see which version you have installed.

4) Run the Disk Utility application from the Applications:Utilities
folder. Select your hard drive, then click on Repair Disk Permissions in
the First Aid tab.

5) Start up Excel.

If you *still* have problems, I'd suspect a corrupt font. Check out the
troubleshooting method at

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=313535

 

[JE McGimpsey]

the first thing I'd do

Now that I told you to rebuild the world, I forgot that you hadn't yet
tried trashing your preferences.

Try, with all Office apps closed, renaming your
~:Libraryreferences:Microsoft folder, then starting Excel. This will
force XL to create new prefs from memory.

If things are working correctly now, transfer everything back from the
old folder that *isn't* Excel or Office related (i.e. your Word
Settings, PPT settings).

That may be enough to work.