# Microsoft Knowledge Base

## Excel: Interactive Trace Operates Only on Single Sheets

Last reviewed: September 12, 1996 Article ID: Q104409
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a
- Microsoft Excel for OS/2, version 3.0
- Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 3.0, 4.0

## SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, the Interactive Trace option of the Worksheet Auditor does not recognize precedents or dependencies on external worksheets. If a formula has a precedent or dependent which is on an external worksheet, the Interactive Trace will return an error message.

## MORE INFORMATION

The Worksheet Auditor is accessed through the AUDIT.XLA add-in. In Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, this add-in is called Worksheet Auditor.

Choosing the Worksheet Auditor command from the Formula menu allows you to generate an audit report that highlights potential errors in your sheet, creates a map of your worksheet, traces cell dependencies, and displays general information about your sheet. The Interactive Trace option allows you to see which cells are precedents to the current cell, as well as which cells are dependent on the current cell. If the precedent button is chosen and the precedent cells are on an external worksheet, the following error message will be generated:

       Active cell has no precedents

## REFERENCES

"User's Guide 1," version 4.0, pages 298-300 "User's Guide," version 3.0, pages 258-260

> KBCategory: kbusage
> KBSubcategory:

> Additional reference words: 4.00 4.00a error add in M_eXceL

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Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
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