Forum Discussion
results in cell with data validation
Hi, in have a cell with a data validation dropdown list and in the past when i typed in a word all possible results popped up. I am using office 2016. I did a system restore and suddenly this stopped working, although this feature was working long before the date of the system restore.
Anyone has a suggestion how to make this work again?
3 Replies
To resolve the issue of data validation dropdown lists not showing possible results as you type in Excel 2016 after a system restore, try the following steps:
- Check AutoComplete settings: Go to File > Options > Advanced. Under the "Editing options" section, make sure "Enable AutoComplete for cell values" is checked.
- Re-enable the dropdown list: Click on the cell with the dropdown, go to Data > Data Validation, and check if the settings are correct. Make sure the "Allow" field is set to "List."
- Clear Cache/Temporary Files: Clear Excel's temporary files by closing Excel and deleting its cache in the system's temp folder (press Win+R, type %temp%, and delete files).
- Repair Office: Go to Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, select Microsoft Office 2016, and click "Repair" to fix potential issues.
These steps should restore the dropdown functionality and allow AutoComplete to work again.
As far as I know, this functionality was introduced with Excel 365, many years after Excel 2016 has been released. If you want the behaviour back, I expect your only option is to either purchase a 365 subscription, or buy Office 2024 (I think!)
dominiek3are you saying AS you type the dropdown lists is actively filtered for possible matches OR, as I suspect, is this using the old way where you type in a word (hit enter) and then the data validation list would be updated to show only the matching values. Assuming that is the case, please attach the workbook without any personal/private information or an example. It may be that something else broke and happen to coincide with the resote process.
