XL97: Line Chart with Smoothed Line Selected May Cause Error

In Microsoft Excel 97, if you move the pointer around a chart sheet or a worksheet that contains an embedded chart, you may receive an error message similar to either of the following:

The error message appears if all of the following conditions are true:

• You use one or more data series that are the line chart type. -and-
  
  
• The Smoothed Line feature is selected (checked) for one or more of the lines. -and-
  
  
• The data series that are lines have source data that are unequal in range size; they have a different number of data points.

To correct this problem, install Microsoft Excel 97 Service Release 1 (SR-1).

To work around this problem, avoid selecting the Smoothed Line check box for all lines in the chart, or verify that all the data series of the lines in the chart have the same number of data points.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Excel 97 SR-1. For additional information about SR-1, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: This problem no longer occurs in Microsoft Excel 2000.

In Microsoft Excel, the Smoothed Line feature smoothes angularity or jagged edges in the lines of a line chart or an xy (scatter) chart. This smoothing feature does not affect data.

Clearing the Smoothed Line Check Box

To clear this check box, follow these steps:

1. Click the line in the chart to select the appropriate data series.
2. On the Format menu, click Selected Data Series.
   
   NOTE: If Selected Data Series does not appear on the Format menu, you did not select the data series.
3. Click the Patterns tab.
4. Click to clear the Smoothed Line check box.

For more information about line chart formatting, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Smooth the angles of line charts" topic.