Large operation Warning / Error

[sabraham]

I'm trying to delete a single line on an Excel spreadsheet that I use all the time. I get a warning that says "The operation you're about to perform affects a large number of cells and may take significant amount of time to complete. Are you sure you want to continue?"

If I say OK, I get an error that says "Excel cannot complete the task with available resources. Choose less data or choose other applications."

I have spoken with Support.com and they say this is not a virus. They said they've had other reports of this and do not know what causes it.

Any ideas?

 

[Jerry Sullivan]

This usually only happens when your operation will trigger the recalculation of a large number of cells.

If it appears like your workbook is fairly simple and shouldn't trigger a response like this, try looking for things like...

Conditional formatting rules that apply to large ranges or the entire worksheet
Array formulas or other complex formulas that relate to large ranges

If you aren't able to track it down, you might find an easy fix in copying your data to a new workbook.