Weird autofill behaviour

[SwordAngel]

This is happening in Excel 2003.

I'm working with a spreadsheet created by somebody else so I don't know everything about it. I don't know what the author did.

I notice that, sometimes, Excel would decide to autofill sequentially and at other times it would decide to autofill by copying values, even if I always start autofilling with only one cell selected.

How does Excel decide whether to autofill sequentially or by copying values when I start with only one cell selected.

Right now, it's rather annoying because Excel keeps using one autofill method when I want the other one. I know I can hint at the method to use by starting with multiple cells selected, but it gets tedious with a large sheet. Is there a way to manipulate the default autofill method for a whole column even if I start with only one cell selected?

Cheers.

 

[GlennUK]

I tend to AutoFill by dragging with a right-click and pull, as that gives a context menu after the drag to choose what to do.

 

[SwordAngel]

I tend to AutoFill by dragging with a right-click and pull, as that gives a context menu after the drag to choose what to do.

That's what I've been doing, too; but I don't want to have to use the context menu after the autofill every time.

 

[Andrew Poulsom]

Dates and items in Custom Lists (eg months and days of the week) are filled sequentially. For a date that is the first day of the month the sequence is months; otherwise the sequence is days. integers aren't filled sequentially - for that you need 2 cells to establish the pattern.

More info here:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/e...rksheet-cells-HP001216366.aspx#BMfillinseries