Knowledge Base

AutoFill feature overwrites data within AutoFilter range

Article ID: 111360

Article Last Modified on 3/15/2007

Microsoft Office Excel 2007
Microsoft Office Excel 2003
Microsoft Excel 2002 Standard Edition
Microsoft Excel 2000 Standard Edition
Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
Microsoft Excel 5.0c

This article was previously published under Q111360

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel that are listed in the "Applies to" section, you use the AutoFill feature to fill a range of data that has an AutoFilter applied to it. When you do this, the underlying data may be overwritten.

WORKAROUND

To undo this change, click Undo on the Edit menu immediately after you fill the data. If the Undo option is unavailable, the only way to recover the data is to open a previously saved version of the file.

MORE INFORMATION

Steps to reproduce the behavior

Create a new worksheet in Excel. Starting with the word "Number" in cell A1, create a range of data as follows:

   A1 Number   B1  Letter
   A2   1      B2    A
   A3   2      B3    B
   A4   3      B4    A
   A5   4      B5    B
   A6   3      B6    A
   A7   5      B7    B
   A8   4      B8    A

Select any cell within this range (A1:B8).
On the Home tab, click Filter on the editing menu.
Drop-down lists will appear in cells A1 and B1. Select A on the drop-down list in cell B1.
Rows three, five, and seven are hidden. Select cells A2 through A8. Perform an AutoFill by dragging the selection down three cells (to cell A11).

Notice that the numbers in cells A2 through A11 change to 1.

Additional query words: 5.00c XL

Keywords: KB111360