Excel - Format Cells, Border

Question

I am using Microsoft Excel for Mac, version number 16.21 (190115), which is the current production version.  I have discovered an anomaly related to the use of the Format Cells, Border command which has persisted for the last several versions of Excel.  When I select a collection of cells in a worksheet and indicate that I would like a thick colored line (e.g., blue) placed around the block of cells with thin Automatic-colored lines placed between the cells, Excel initially executes my command correctly.  However, when I then re-execute the Format Cells, Border command on that same group of cells and try to change the outside border to a thick line of a different color (e.g., Red), Excel removes the original thick, colored (Blue) line and replaces it with no line whatsoever.  I must then re-execute the Format Cells, Border command and re-specify my line thickness and border color in order for my command to execute correctly.  Should I try to use the Format Cells, Border command to change both the color of the exterior border line and either add or delete the lines between the cells, it gets really messy and I have to execute the Format Cells, Border command several times before Excel will finally get my instructions right.  I have been able to reproduce this problem with several different worksheets, including one that was brand new.  Could the Microsoft Excel product team fix this problem in a future release?

Having said this, I am otherwise very pleased with the current version of Microsoft Excel.  It's amazing how much the Mac version of Excel has improved over the last year and a half.  I was part of the Office Insider program when I first signed up for Office 365 for my Mac and found that the Mac version of the product wasn't nearly as good as that I had used with Windows.  Kudos to Microsoft for improving Excel for Mac so much during that period!

Answer 1

Hi meteor71，

I am deeply sorry that I did not solve your problem in the first time. If you can provide a video for the reproduced steps to help me investigate the issue, I will try my best to help you. Also, if you have any questions you would like to ask in the future, we are always welcome to you ask the questions and we will do our best. Thank you for posting in our forum.

Regards,

Clark

Answer 2

I don't know how to do either of those things so I guess this ends our dialogue.  I'll just have to live with Excel as is.

Answer 3

Hi meteor71,

Thanks for your updates.

To follow your decryptions, I still cannot reproduce the issue. 

Step 1-4 is the same with yours, but the in step 5 is different. Here is my result:

Because of our reproduce result are different, may I asked could you provide a reproduced video or a OneDrive link via the PM to help me investigate the issue?

Thanks,

Clark

Answer 4

My version of Microsoft Excel for Mac is identical to yours.  I was able to reproduce your example without difficulty.  However, my process (based on your example) is as follows:

1: Reproduce your original table, but with no borders

2. Using the Format Cells command/Border tab, add a blue border around cells C1, C2, D1, and D2 as in your example's Step 1.

3. Using the Format Cells command/Border tab, expand the outside border from the original four cells (C1:D2) to 10 cells (A1:E2) and change the color of the outside border from a thick blue line to a thick red line, per your example's Step 2.

4. Using the Format Cells command/Border tab, expand the outside border from the previous ten cells (A1:E2) to 18 cells (A1:F3) keeping the thick red line for the outside border AND adding a thin Automatic-colored line for the interior border.

5. Using the Format Cells command/Border tab, change the color of the outside border from a thick red line back to a thick blue line AND change the interior lines (both vertical and horizontal) to a medium green line.  As a result, all of the borders have vanished!

Answer 5

Hi meteor71,

According to my test, I cannot reproduce the issue.  Here are my reproduce steps:

1. I create some cells , four of them in the thick blue line.

2. Then I re-execute the Format Cells, Border command on that same group of cells change the outside border to a thick line of a red color, the outside cell cover by the red lines and insider cell still blue.

This is my test environment:

To confirm whether my steps are the same as yours, please tell me if there’s any difference.

Regards,

Clark