Forum Discussion
Blue Triangles
I had seen this article (your link), actually what pointed me at the "Excel Tech Community" (bottom of article). These "blue triangles" are in cells with only text, and some with nothing in them (??). I've also googled this with no answer that works to delete them,
Perhaps you may share small sample file and indicate on which platform (Windows, Web, Mac, iOS, Android, etc) end Excel version you are.
- Jack_BensonJan 11, 2022Copper Contributor
Sergei, Joe,
My apologies, I had responded as you described with a lot of detail, hit "Post", then went to bed on the 7th, only to find the next day that it hadn't gone and all of my response had been deleted (??). Anyway, in general, here is what it consisted of:
I'm currently running MS Excel for Mac, version 16.56 on an iMac, OS Catalina, version 10.15.7. So, unlike Joe's description (from the "File" menu), I was able to access "Error Checking" from; Tools > Auto Correct Options > Show All > Error Checking. Once there; the "Turn on background error checking" box was checked, the "Indicate errors using this color" was set to "automatic" with the default color being green, and I hit the "Reset Ignored Errors button (several times), but nothing changed in the cells with the blue triangles. These triangles, instead of being in the upper left corner of the cells are against their left edge (triangle point to the right), and they vary in size.
If I click on one of these triangles I get this MS “Potential Security Concern” window mentioning “Hyperlinks” with a “javascript . . . . .” location (???).
If I right click on one of the triangles I pull up a menu that includes "Edit", "Open", or "Remove" the "Hyperlink". Opening it does nothing, but "Edit Hyperlink" brings up this window:
I can then delete the "javascript . . ." "Address", or if I've selected "Remove Hyperlink" before selecting Edit, it's already gone. Here's the catch . . . . , the blue triangle is unaffected, still there! I’ve tried recreating the text (no formulas) that’s in these lines in unaffected lines, inserting them, then deleting the “blue triangle” lines, and I’ve been able to get it down to one line with the triangle. But if I create an additional unaffected line, insert it in above the now “blue triangle” line, then delete the “blue triangle” line . . . . , the “blue triangle” moves to the previously unaffected line. I just can’t get rid of it!!
I’ve looked back at earlier files from which this one evolved dating back to 2013, and these same triangles are there. Those files were created using the Excel version that was part of Office for Mac 2011. I suspect those files and this one have some sort of corrupted cells, or it’s just a difference between the Excel versions, but the reason for the triangles should be correctable, I just can’t find how to do it!! As it doesn’t seem to affect the functioning of the file, maybe just leaving it alone is OK . . . , buuut. Any suggestions/help would be appreciated.
- SergeiBaklanJan 12, 2022Diamond Contributor
Thank you for sharing more details. I'm not working on Mac, nonetheless
- security alert is normal default behaviour, it shall be no formula error indicator due to it
- perhaps you have not error indicator but some objects inserted into cells. If you stay on any such cell, copy formula in formula bar (not copy cell), stay on any empty cell, paste formula in formula bar, Enter - will such indicator appear?