Forum Discussion
Formula loses link to named column in another sheet
The behavior you described, where the named columns lose their link or highlighting when used in formulas across different sheets, can sometimes happen due to Excel's behavior with respect to named ranges. This typically occurs when the named ranges are not fully qualified with the sheet name or if there are issues with workbook scope.
To ensure that named ranges work consistently across different sheets, you can follow these guidelines:
- Use Fully Qualified Named Ranges: When you create named ranges, specify the sheet name along with the column reference. For example, if you have a named range "MyColumn" in "Sheet1," use it as "Sheet1!MyColumn" in your formulas.
- Workbook Scope: Ensure that your named ranges have a workbook scope (available in the entire workbook) rather than just a worksheet scope. To do this, go to the "Formulas" tab, click on "Name Manager," and verify that the named ranges are scoped to the entire workbook.
- Check for Duplicate Names: Make sure that there are no duplicate names in your workbook. If two or more named ranges have the same name, Excel might have difficulty resolving which one to use.
- Use the Name Box: When entering named ranges in your formulas, you can use the Name Box to select the named range and insert it into the formula. This can help ensure that the correct name is used.
Here is an example (untested) of how to use a fully qualified named range in your formula:
=IF(OR(ISERROR(Sheet1!SAP_Fill),ISBLANK(Sheet1!SAP_Fill)),"", IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet1!Mat_Des&CHAR(10)&"(Vndr) "&Sheet1!MFG_VNDR,MATCH(Sheet1!SAP_Fill,Sheet1!SAP,0)),"No such SAP exists"))
In the formula above, I've prefixed each named column with the sheet name (e.g., "Sheet1!SAP_Fill") to fully qualify the named ranges. This should help maintain the link and highlighting across different sheets.
If the issue persists, it is also a good practice to check for any Excel add-ins or third-party tools that might be affecting the behavior of named ranges and formulas. Disabling add-ins temporarily can help isolate and troubleshoot the problem.
The text and steps were edited with the help of AI.
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- Thank you for taking the time to reply.
I tried the 'Fully Qualified Named Range' option, as that was the only solution I had not yet tried and still the same result. Excel actually replaced 'Sheet1' with the name of the file after I pressed enter.
Each sheet is behaving as if it cannot see the other one. If I change the column name, it accordingly changes it in the formula and yet the link to the column itself is not there.
The only add-in being used (Kofax pdf) I disabled and that did not help either. It is beyond baffling at this point.It is indeed perplexing that you are still experiencing issues even after trying the suggested solutions. To further troubleshoot the problem with named ranges losing their link when used in formulas across different sheets in Excel 2016, here are some additional steps you can take:
- Recreate the Named Ranges: Sometimes, named ranges can become corrupted. You can try recreating the named ranges from scratch. Here's how:
- Go to the "Formulas" tab. b. Click on "Name Manager." c. Delete the existing named ranges that are causing issues. d. Recreate the named ranges with the correct scope (workbook scope) and ensure they are correctly assigned to the columns in the respective sheets.
- Check for Workbook Corruption: It is possible that your Excel workbook itself is corrupted. To check for this:
- Create a copy of the workbook for backup purposes. b. Open the copied workbook and see if the issue persists. If it does not, it might have been a corruption issue in the original file.
- Excel Repair: Try running the built-in repair tool in Excel to fix any potential issues with the software itself. Here is how:
- Close all Excel workbooks. b. Go to "Control Panel" > "Programs and Features" (or "Add or Remove Programs" depending on your Windows version). c. Locate Microsoft Office in the list of installed programs, right-click it, and choose "Change." d. Select "Repair" and follow the on-screen instructions to repair Microsoft Office.
- Use a Different Workbook: Create a new, blank workbook and try reproducing the issue with simple named ranges and formulas. This can help determine if the problem is specific to your existing workbook or a more general Excel issue.
- Excel Updates: Ensure that your Microsoft Excel 2016 installation is up to date with the latest updates and patches. Sometimes, updating Excel can resolve unexpected issues.
- Excel in Safe Mode: Launch Excel in Safe Mode to see if any third-party software or add-ins are causing the problem. To do this, press the Windows key + R, type "excel /safe" (without quotes), and press Enter.
- Check for Circular References: Ensure that there are no circular references in your formulas. Circular references can sometimes disrupt Excel's behavior.
- Excel Options: Review Excel options, specifically those related to calculations and formulas. Go to "File" > "Options" > "Formulas" and review the settings there.
- I am not the primary owner of this file. I recreated the file by copying and pasting the format followed by a copy and paste of the values only. I decided to go back to the beginning, the very beginning and start writing basic formulas with no error coding etc. When I was double checking the format of the columns, it turns out that despite my having set a column, the SAP column, to a number format, Excel would not keep that format. This was an oddity that I have not come across before either. I had to highlight all the entries and do a correction of converting the text to a number. Once that was corrected the column format of number was maintained and the formula worked.
Thanks again for your assistance.
