Excel fill handle copying does not copy formulas

[David Kelsey]

My Excel has suddenly taken to ignoring the usual rules for the fill handle,
and now will only copy the values of the first cell when dragged, instead of
copying 'all' including formulas. I have explored all the possible settings,
and they seem to be as they should be. I have opened a new sheet in the
faulty workbook, and this exhibits the same aberrant behaviour.

If I open a completely new workbook under the same Excel installation, it
behaves normally, so the problem is confined to one particular workbook with
five worksheets. This has behaved normally from day one until today. No
changes have been made to this workbook, at least, not knowingly.

I have 'repaired' the Office installation, then reinstalled Excel on its
own, and finally reinstalled Office. Nothing makes any difference.
Presumably there is some kind of registry setting that has gone belly up,
but I don't know the registry well enough to find it.

Can anyone help please?

David Kelsey

 

[Dave Peterson]

Could it be that you're dragging through a range that is using
data|filter|autofilter--and you've applied a filter to that range?

 

[David Kelsey]

Thanks Dave. I haven't knowingly done anything to cause any change.
However, yesterday I tried to use the double-click to produce a series, and
also used the right click to specify the scope of paste, and whaddyaknow,
the original drag suddenly began working properly, and continues to do so.
This is not untypical of XP Home, in my experience - things pack up or don't
happen for a day or two, then somehow get their act together and start
working again. Sort of a self-healing process, perhaps?
David

 

[Dave Peterson]

I don't think that WinXP Home (the operating system) would have any affect on
how excel behaved.

And when I find things work today that didn't work yesterday, I usually blame
the nut behind the wheel (me!).

Maybe the filter was used on one day and not the other???