# Has anybody else noticed these things?



## steve case (Feb 20, 2016)

I'm an Excel 2003 user because I couldn't manage to make the transition to Excel 2013 but that's a digression.   

I have Windows ten and I after I ignore and [X] out of the update requests enough times, they finally load automatically without my permission.  And then things happen I don't like:

What's happened is little changes that slow my PC down or make life more complicated. 

1.  I like to navigate with [Alt][Tab] and now after the last update [Alt][Tab] for Excel requires at least a double [Alt][Tab] - [Alt][Tab] more if I have more than one Excel file up. 

So the move between applications or files choice has been disabled.  Someone must have thought this was a good idea. 

2.  I use "Save as" a lot, and now, when I click on File  it doesn't come up unless I wait 5 seconds or click on the "Expand" button at the bottom.  

Requiring the user wait or make additional clicks doesn't improve efficiency. (Big reason why I don't use Excel 13 or newer)  

Maybe my fumble fingers hit some option button in error and I just don't know it.  But I'm blaming the auto-updates.

OK, I've vented now but it doesn't make me any happier.


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## thisoldman (Feb 20, 2016)

It takes a period of constant annoyance and disgruntlement to get used to Excel 2013 and Windows 10. The improved chart formatting menus were what sold me on Excel 2013. And I've stopped Windows 10 from constantly phoning home. I no longer have Excel 2003 installed so I can't check these possible workarounds out.

For switching between Excel windows, does *Ctrl+Tab* work for 2003? *Ctrl+PgUp* and *Ctrl+PgDn* for navigating between sheets in the same workbook?

I use the builtin keyboard shortcuts and keyboard menu navigation a lot. I hate switching from keyboard to mouse to keyboard. Is the keyboard combination *Alt+F then A* more responsive than mouse navigation for _File >> Save As..._?


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## Smitty (Feb 20, 2016)

Heya Steve, long time!

I'd strongly suggest moving up to 2013 (or 2016), just because there's so much more functionality now, especially with the "Power" tools, and some of my favorite toys: Slicers & Timelines for Pivot Tables and the ability to create database relationships between tables and then use any field in a pivot table (that alone is reason enough for me).  Yeah, the Ribbon is a big adjustment, but you'll get used to it.

As for Win 10, yeah, it's a PITA, but it beats the crap out of Vista & that complete failure called Windows 8.  I recall seeing something the other day about how to turn off the automatic (we're going to update even if you beg us not to feature), but I'll have to see if I can dig it up.

Keyboard shortcuts can be a PITA too.  Some of your old favorites will now require hitting the last key 2x (e.g. invoke protection -->Alt+T+P, can now be Alt+T+P+P).  Someone at Microsoft explained to me that if you slow down a bit, then the repetitive keystroke isn't necessary, to which my reply was "then why the hell do I need a SHORTCUT?!"

A huge pet peeve of mine is Alt+F+C to close a workbook.  Sometimes it does, and sometimes it just brings up the "Backstage" view and you have to hit C again!  But MS is aware of all of this.  Some of it will be fixed, and some of it simply won't, but the huge advances they've made with Excel offset a lot of the irritation.

The good news is that if you get an Office 365 version (don't ask me which one, since MS Marketing makes it incredibly difficult to figure out which one is best for you - but I digress), you'll get random monthly upgrades.  For Excel, you might wake up one morning and find that you've got 5 new functions that weren't there the day before.  It's kind of like Christmas presents, except no one tells you it's Christmas. 

Despite the frustration, it's completely worth the upgrade.


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## steve case (Feb 20, 2016)

thisoldman said:


> It takes a period of ...






Smitty said:


> Heya Steve, long time!
> 
> 
> I'd strongly suggest moving up to 2013 (or 2016)...




Hey guys, thanks for the reply *(-:*


I just mostly wanted to vent.  No way am I going to reload 
Excel 2013 back on my machine.  


I spent an afternoon trying to get it to produce a graph with 
trend lines in my style. In Excel 2003 it's a simple [F11] and
 a few selections.  In 2013 it's a nightmare  


You still can't disable the date function that provides me no 
end of grief.  


Formulas that yield =("") a blank cell are still regarded as zero 
and show up on your graph that way.  


So anyway, having vented some more, I do want to let you know 
that Mr. Excel is the best free thing on the net.  I joined in 2002 
and earned my keep largely due to the answers provided here. 
 People where I worked thought I was a guru.  I made some great 
"toys" and I was profusely thanked for them.  I'm retired since 2009 
but Excel is still my friend, I use it for lots of stuff.


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## Smitty (Feb 20, 2016)

> Formulas that yield =("") a blank cell are still regarded as zero
> and show up on your graph that way.



It's been that way forever.  You can wrap the formula in NA(), which won't plot.


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## steve case (Feb 20, 2016)

Smitty said:


> It's been that way forever.  You can wrap the formula in NA(), which won't plot.


Thanks, I'll give it a whirl


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## steve case (Feb 21, 2016)

Smitty said:


> It's been that way forever.  You can wrap the formula in NA(), which won't plot.



As it turns out, I haven't a clue how to do what you said. 

Here's a sample of what doesn't work:


```
[U] |  A  |  B  |        C         |[/U]
1|  1  |   85|=IF(B1=9999,"",B1)|
2|  2  | 9999|=IF(B2=9999,"",B2)|
3|  3  |   45|=IF(B3=9999,"",B3)|
```

What does it look like when you "wrap"  =IF(B1=9999,"",B1)  in NA() 

And then copy it on down?

Thanks


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## FDibbins (Feb 21, 2016)

Try this...
=IF(B1=9999,#N/A,B1)


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## steve case (Feb 21, 2016)

FDibbins said:


> Try this...
> =IF(B1=9999,#N/A,B1)



Hmmmm, I didn't expect that. When there are actual blanks, the curve isn't continuous. It skips.  If every other value were blank it would be a dashed line.  

With the generated #N/A Excel draws a continuous straight line right passed the missing data. 

And that would be OK ... BUT!  Excel's slope function doesn't work with #N/A instead of a blank.  And that's important. 

BUT! Thanks for the reply.


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## FDibbins (Feb 21, 2016)

charts ignore errors and hidden columns, useful in the right circumstances

There may be ways around not being able to use #N/A's, like creating a 2nd table to extract just the data you want/need, then basing the chart on that table instrad


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## steve case (Feb 21, 2016)

FDibbins said:


> charts ignore errors and hidden columns, useful in the right circumstances
> 
> There may be ways around not being able to use #N/A's, like creating a 2nd table to extract just the data you want/need, then basing the chart on that table instrad



Yes, Excel ignores =("") and delivers the slope.  So  I have my solution, one column of formulas for the chart and one for the slope.  Done!

Thanks for the replies.


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## FDibbins (Feb 21, 2016)

Awesome, happy you got it resolved


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