XL97: Formulas with Range-Style Cell Reference Are Not Updated

When you calculate values in your Microsoft Excel worksheet, some cells may not be automatically recalculated.

This problem may occur when you use formulas that contain a range-style reference to a single cell. For example, a formula that uses the following reference style to refer to cell B5 may not be recalculated:

To correct this problem, obtain Microsoft Excel 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2).

For additional information about SR-2, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: To work around the problem temporarily, change the style of the cell references. For example, change the following cell reference to:

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows. This problem was corrected in Microsoft Office 97 Service Release 2 (SR-2).

Example of the Problem

To see an example of the problem, follow these steps:

1. Save and close any open workbooks and open a new workbook.
2. Type the value 1 into cell A1.
3. Type the following formula into cell B2:

   =$A$1:$A$1+1

   The formula returns a value of 2.
4. Fill the formula in cell B2 (using the Fill handle) down to cell B5.
   
   The cells in the range B2:B5 will display a value of 2.
5. Change the value in cell A1 to 4.
   
   Only cell B2 will display the correct value of 5.