XL: Blank Item in Undo/Redo List After Clicking Lock Cell Tool

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

If you click the Lock Cell tool on the Standard toolbar in Microsoft Excel, the following problems may occur:

• If you click the Undo tool or the Redo tool on the Standard toolbar, the list of actions that you can undo or redo may contain one or more blank items.
• If you click the Edit menu, the Undo and Redo commands are not followed by the name of an action (for example, "Undo Clear" or "Redo Insert AutoShape").

CAUSE

These problems occur because Microsoft Excel places a null entry in the Undo and Redo lists when you click the Lock Cell tool. As a result, the Edit menu and the Undo and Redo tools do not display an action name for the Lock Cell tool.

WORKAROUND

Even though the Edit menu and the Undo and Redo tools do not list the actions, you can undo or redo the action performed by the Lock Cell tool. To do this, click Undo or Redo on the Edit menu, or click the Undo or Redo tool, and then click the blank actions that you want to undo or redo.

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 the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, you can display the Lock Cell tool by following these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize. Click the Commands tab.

2. In the Categories list, click Format. Scroll to the bottom of the Commands list.

3. Drag the Lock Cell tool from the Commands list and to an existing toolbar.

4. Click Close.