Home Forums Mac Software Mac Applications Excel safeguard against overwriting formulas?

No problem. I have to rely on others' expertise as well, as you can see. I'm no smarter than Edison.

I'll keep the RAM and upgrade ideas in my back pocket. Thanks for chiming in. Your input was more helpful than you give yourself credit for.

That's true and I apologize for not scrolling back to see if you did mention your OS. You will notice that each of my posts has a signature line that shows my OS and other relevant information that may assist people who are willing to help. Some time ago, a moderator told me I should do that. It improves the chances that people will give relevant advice and not chase ghosts. You might want to consider it. You use My Stuff>Edit Profile>Signature.

Those 8 files sitting in the Preferences folder do not have "prefs" in their file names. If they did, the ones for Entourage, Excel, and Word would have the same names as those found inside the Microsoft folder. I moved the 8 files out of the Preferences folder. Then I moved the Excel.prefs.plist file out of the Microsoft folder to the Desktop. When I then opened an Excel file, it was replaced. However, the Excel Help window still did not have a close button. I put the plist file back.

I also had a file called Microsoft Office Settings (11) sitting on my Desktop. I forget where it came from. I just remember finding it, along with a VBA Preferences file in a strange place. Both files have been on my Desktop for awhile. The latter file (actually its twin) also appears in the Microsoft folder (above). Both have weird dates, that is, months after I got the computer, but a year apart. I put the former into the Microsoft folder before trying the above test.

The Excel Help window will close by doing the following:
Cmd-W (closes the spreadsheet window)
Cmd-W (does nothing perceptible)
Cmd-W (closes Excel Help window)
Excel is still running

Of those 8 files not in the Microsoft folder, two were replaced in the Preferences folder after opening an Excel file: autoupdate.plist and OfficeNotifications.plist

One of the 8 sequestered files is called autoupdate2.plist which means a duplicate was made somehow. I would think that would be an intentional act (which I don't recall doing myself) rather than a program doing that on its own.

> One of the 8 sequestered files is called autoupdate2.plist which means a duplicate was made somehow.

Hmmm... I'm running Excel 2008, and I've had the same plist in /Users/Your short name/Library/Preferences since the first time I launched the app.

Also, I've got a folder "com.microsoft.autoupdate2" in /private/var/folders.

I wonder if we're dealing with an unfortunate nomenclature gaffe?

I'll post this now so I don't forget again.
Buttons were hiding off the top of the Help windows. Windows were jammed to the top of the screen, right up to the Menu Bar. Changing the display resolution revealed the whole window, with buttons. I just pulled the windows down and changed the resolution back. Problem solved!

I have a similar issue with excel. I have one line of toolbar and one line of the edit line for formulas.

I believe in that case they intended for the toolbar line that this is all on, to occupy only one line. But my formula bar is below it and stretches cross screen.

This causes windows that I click the green maximize button on to take up an upper left position UNDER the formula bar. I have to resize the window slightly to decrease its height and then grab it from over on the right (past where my formula bar ends) and drag it down so I have access to the window's buttons in their upper left corner.

Precisely to prevent that, I have customized my toolbar and shortened the formula bar so that both fit on one line across my wide screen. I removed tools that I habitually use the keyboard shortcuts for, as well as the ones I've never used, mostly because I have no idea what they do, and apparently, I haven't needed to know. And, I had room to add some that I'll use, and find it more convenient than searching the menus for them. "Now, where was that blankety-blank command anyway?"

does this fit all in one line for you?

{=IF(B20="","",-SUM(IF(JDCCU!$A$3:$A$9926="N",0,IF(IF(JDCCU!$C$3:$C$9926>=$M$3,
IF(JDCCU!$C$3:$C$9926<=$M$4,JDCCU!$I$3:$I$9926=B20,0),0),JDCCU!$E$3:$E$9926,0))))}

The formula bar has its own row to itself in my toolbar in excel. And even then, that formula wraps to another line.

I don't mind text wrapping in the formula bar, and I do get that once in awhile, but I don't use IF or other "fancy" formulations. Since the formula you posted will not fit on one line even when you stretch the formula bar all the way across your screen, why not shorten it? I thought your complaint was needing two rows of toolbars. I think there should be an option to "dock" the toolbars at the sides of the windows. Given today's wide screens, that would be more efficient.

Edit
Re-reading your post... Why not put the formula bar on top, and right-justify the toolbar below it? If that will stick, maybe your buttons will not be hidden.