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LeeL365's avatar
LeeL365
Copper Contributor
Apr 17, 2022

Today Function circular reference

I am using a simple =TODAY() in a cell that does nothing else but display today's date.  I do use this (today's date) on other date calculations. Excel is giving me a CIRCULAR REFERENCE error identif...
Formulas and Functions
LeeL365's avatar
LeeL365
Copper Contributor
Apr 22, 2022

JoeUser2004  Thank you. I have done all of that. to no avail. The error checking says no circular references, however, I get a warning display each time I open the sheets and also in the lower left where the error seems never to go away.  I will try just recreating the sheet and going from formula to formula. This sheet was created under an older version of excel and I thought it had been updated, but I was wrong.

Thanks anyway

lukebutler's avatar
lukebutler
Copper Contributor
Apr 25, 2022

LeeL365 JoeUser2004 
Same problem here, and just started recently (Ibelieve after the last update) in all workbooks I open. Even starting from scratch with a brand new workbook, a simple =TODAY() in A1 causes a circular reference. Likely an update bug?

  • JoeUser2004's avatar
    JoeUser2004
    Bronze Contributor
    Apr 25, 2022

    lukebutler  wrote: ``Even starting from scratch with a brand new workbook, a simple =TODAY() in A1 causes a circular reference. Likely an update bug?``

     

    Follow these instructions to execute Excel in safe mode.  (I don't know if these instructions work with Office 365 Excel.)

     

    1. Close all windows.

    2. Press and hold the Ctrl key until step #5.

    3. While pressing the Ctrl key, click on the Excel program icon, not a file icon.

    4. While pressing the Ctrl key, wait for the following pop-up.

     

     

    5. Release the Ctrl key, and click Yes.

    6. In Excel, confirm that the application title says "Safe Mode".

     

     

    7. Enter the formula =TODAY() into A1.

     

    Do you get a circular reference error?

     

    If not, repeat the procedure without executing Excel in safe mode.

     

    1. Close all windows.

    2. Click on the Excel program icon, not a file icon.

    3. In Excel, confirm that application title does not say "Safe Mode".

     

     

    4. Enter the formula =TODAY() into A1.

     

    Do you get a circular reference error?

     

     

      • JoeUser2004's avatar
        JoeUser2004
        Bronze Contributor
        Apr 25, 2022

        lukebutler 

         

        Whoa! Wait!

         

        First, __what__ fixed it?  I wanted you to answer each question separately.

         

        Second, the excercise was __not__ intended to be a solution.  It is just a diagnostic tool.

         

        If executing Excel in safe mode avoided the problem, the root cause might be an add-in or a VBA macro of your own.

         

        I hope you are still paying attention to this thread and reply back.

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