Ghost formula blocking the screen

[Alex Saint]

Hello
I am a basic excel user. I use it frequently for budgeting mainly but nothing especially complicated. Basic adding up and taking away, project planning, occasionally I will import an excel spreadsheet as a form into word -- but really nothing complex. Am sure i could use it better, but don't really need to.
Recently 'ghost' formula/links (eg grey cells annotated R2, C3 etc ) have started overlaying themselves across the screen. They don't relate in any way to the workbook I am working on, and aren't 'live'. It is as if a piece of tracing paper has been laid of the top and it is making Excel nearly impossible to use as the screen is obstructed.
I don't know how to identify the spreadsheet that it is pulling from - or how to find out if if I have at some point 'saved' some data in a clipfile maybe that is now misbehaving.
A google search pulled up a thread about this some years back (2012) but am afraid I couldn't understand the answer, which is why I am asking again.
The answer given was "you unprotect a worksheet by using the object model such as worksheets ("sheet2"). Unprotect. If the unprotected worksheet is not the active worksheet, contents from the unprotected worksheet become visible on the current worksheet. This issue continues until there is an action that updates Excel."
That sounds like my problem. But I really need very simple step by step instructions re how to resolve or pointing in the direction of hands-on help and intervention.
Many thanks
Alex - Manchester UK

 

[dave3009]

Hi Alex,

That does look like really odd behaviour. I note you are using Office for Mac. Now I have seen recently some strange goings on with this, for example (and not limited to) freeze panes causing repeating frozen rows. Some fixes I've seen would include running software updates and , in extremes, reinstalling the software. You could perhaps contact Microsoft support to see if they have encountered this issue and if they have any fixes for it.

I hope you get it resolves soon.

Take care

Dave

 

[Alex Saint]

Yes I think maybe Mac is the issue - it's the latest version too and I suspect that's the connection.
Will have a go at upgrading again and see if that clears it.
Thankyou for trying
Alex

 

[dave3009]

It's one thing having the latest version, another thing having it and running the updates to iron out any creases. If you do find a solution it'd be worth posting back for the benefit of others who encounter a similar problem.