Microsoft Knowledge Base

Excel: Data Pasted from Protected Sheet Doesn't Retain Format
Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
Article ID: Q101622
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0
  • Microsoft Excel for OS/2, versions 2.2, 3.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 2.x, 3.0

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed above, if you copy cells from a protected document and paste them to another worksheet, cell formatting will not be retained when you transfer the copied information to the destination document.

For example, any cell formatting such as the font, point size, bold, italic, and cell notes will not automatically be copied to the destination worksheet.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the source data comes from a worksheet that has a cell level protection applied to it.

STATUS

This problem does not occur in later versions of Microsoft Excel.

WORKAROUND

To copy the formats from the source worksheet to the destination sheet, do either of the following:

  • Unprotect the document before you use the Copy command: To unprotect the document, choose Unprotect Document from the Options menu. If the document is password protected you will need to enter the password to unprotect the document.

    -or-

  • Use the Paste Special feature after the information has been copied to the destination worksheet. To copy the formats to the destination worksheet after the information was been pasted from the source worksheet, do the following:

    1. Reselect the cells on the source worksheet that you copied.

    2. From the Edit menu, choose Copy.

    3. Switch to the destination worksheet and select the range that 

          contains the pasted data.

    4. From the Edit menu, choose Paste Special.

    5. Under Paste, choose Formats and then choose OK.

    The cell formatting will be applied to the cells on the destination worksheet. Note that Cell notes cannot be transferred from a protected document.

REFERENCES

"Function Reference," version 3.0, pages 176, 177-178

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:

Additional reference words: 3.00 2.20 2.00a 2.00b 2.00c



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Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
©1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Legal Notices.