Data Validation Crashing Excel

[kshelmidine]

I have a workbook that contains a data validation list. I have a table and graph linked to data that changes based on what is chosen from the list via lookup formulas. Randomly, but VERY often, when I pick a new value from the list, Excel crashes. I get a message that says "Microsoft has stopped working".

Does anybody have any experience with this? Any thoughts on what could be causing it?

 

[starl]

Does it really crash or does it grey out, you get a (Not Responding) and you force close it? If that's the case - Excel will grey out with the (Not Responding) when it's stuck in an intense calculation.

Else, it's possible the workbook, sheet or a cell is corrupt.

 

[easy2understandexcel]

Do you have anything else going on in the sheet? any VBA code? Or is it just that one formula and graph. I know you said randomly, but is there any particular value you select that causes the crash more often or always?

 

[kshelmidine]

it grays out and then it closes itself. I thought it was possibly a corrupt sheet so I did a repair on it but the problem continued. I also just created a new workbook and it happened there as well.

Other things I've tried is to break links to other workbooks and I read that saving as a .xlsm vs a .xls would help but it did not.

Does it really crash or does it grey out, you get a (Not Responding) and you force close it? If that's the case - Excel will grey out with the (Not Responding) when it's stuck in an intense calculation.

Else, it's possible the workbook, sheet or a cell is corrupt.

 

[kshelmidine]

No VBA or macros of any kind. I do have it linked to another workbook but even when I broke the links the problem persisted.

It does not matter which value I choose from the list. It seemed to be every time I chose any new value it would close yesterday.

The table (which feeds the graph) is just two rows of data with columns for months. It looks to the chosen value and does vlookups to two data sets above.

Do you have anything else going on in the sheet? any VBA code? Or is it just that one formula and graph. I know you said randomly, but is there any particular value you select that causes the crash more often or always?

 

[starl]

The repair tool is rather useless. I would recommend building from scratch in a new workbook. If you do a copy/paste, only paste values.
The corruption could be within a cell.
Another way to troubleshoot would be to copy the workbook, then begin deleting any non-relevant sheets (non-relevant to the drop-down and chart itself). Even if you have other sheets linking to your data for other reasons, delete the sheet. Do this one at a time, saving, closing, reopening and testing. Tedious - but if the workbook is massive, you might be able to narrow down the specific sheet that is the problem.

 

[kshelmidine]

Thanks for your thoughts. I tried building a much smaller workbook from scratch with no links. I didn't even copy the data from that file. Just remade it all together. And it still crashed.

The only thing I can think is that there is some problem with the network I am on. I saved a copy of the new file to my desktop and *so far* it hasn't crashed.

The repair tool is rather useless. I would recommend building from scratch in a new workbook. If you do a copy/paste, only paste values.
The corruption could be within a cell.
Another way to troubleshoot would be to copy the workbook, then begin deleting any non-relevant sheets (non-relevant to the drop-down and chart itself). Even if you have other sheets linking to your data for other reasons, delete the sheet. Do this one at a time, saving, closing, reopening and testing. Tedious - but if the workbook is massive, you might be able to narrow down the specific sheet that is the problem.

 

[starl]

Microsoft does list networks as a possible issues (scroll way down): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2758592
When you say network.. is it a Sharepoint setup?

Have you tried repairing Excel (not just the workbook)?

 

[easy2understandexcel]

Thanks for your thoughts. I tried building a much smaller workbook from scratch with no links. I didn't even copy the data from that file. Just remade it all together. And it still crashed.

The only thing I can think is that there is some problem with the network I am on. I saved a copy of the new file to my desktop and *so far* it hasn't crashed.

Are you linking data over the network or just running the excel file that is stored on a network folder? That is rather odd.

 

[kshelmidine]

It isn't a Sharepoint, it's just the companies network.

I'd been having problems on the laptop I was on so I've been given a new "custom" laptop which excel has been newly installed on. So, I haven't specifically tried repairing Excel but I'm having the problem on a newly set up laptop.

Microsoft does list networks as a possible issues (scroll way down): https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2758592
When you say network.. is it a Sharepoint setup?

Have you tried repairing Excel (not just the workbook)?