XL97: Error Clicking Pick From List in Cell with Many Characters

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you right-click a cell and click Pick From List on the shortcut menu while the cell is in edit mode, you may receive the following error message:

   This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
   If the problem persists, contact the program vendor.

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module KERNEL32.DLL at
   0137:bff9a5d0.

   EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module EXCEL.EXE at
   0137:3000112e.

CAUSE

This problem occurs when the following conditions are true:

• You edit a cell that contains 268 or more characters.

      -and-
  

• You immediately click anywhere in the worksheet without clicking an item in the Pick From list.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel 97, you can use the Pick From List command to automatically enter text into a cell. When you use the Pick From List command, Microsoft Excel 97 generates a list by using the text from neighboring cells.

If you double-click a cell, or if you press F2, Microsoft Excel 97 places the cell in edit mode. If you right-click the cell, the Pick From List menu command appears on the shortcut menu.

If the cell that you are editing contains 268 or more characters, and you click Pick From List, and then click outside of the list, you receive the error message mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.