Problem with creating graphs in Excel on Mac Os X version 10.7.5 - Some chart types cannot be combined with other chart types. Select a different chart type

Question

Hi, I'm a frustrated Master student needing to make a very simple bar graph in Excel, but the program won't let me and keeps telling me: Some chart types cannot be combined with other chart types. Select a different chart type. I looked on other forums and people had similar problems but their solutions do not apply to or fix my problem, so I'm really hoping somebody out there can help. I have worked in Excel on pc's before and know how to make a chart. Something is definitely wrong with the settings in Excel or something else, I don't know but hope a friendly soul can help me!

Thanks

Answer 1

(a) I am not usually satisfied with Excel's guesses at appropriate axis titles and chart title, so I usually start by selecting only the data. That is, instead of selecting E1:K3 in your example, I select F2:K3. 

(b) With the data selected, I choose Chart (ribbon) > Insert Chart > Bar (dropdown) > 2-D Bar Clustered Bar, which creates the initial chart.

(c) Since there is only one data series, I select the legend and press the Delete key.

(d) To use the text of column E in your example for titles, with the chart selected, I choose Chart Layout (ribbon) > Chart Title > Title Above Chart. With the chart title selected, I click in the formula bar, type an equal sign =, click cell E1, and press the Return key.

(e) I repeat the steps in (d) for each of the Axis Titles using the text in cells E2 and E3.

These steps work fine for me using U.S. English language & formats in Mac OS X 10.7.5 with Excel 14.4.4.

Answer 2

Would be nice to know what you have already tried to resolve the issue.

Also look at the following:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/mac/forum/macoffice2011-macexcel/some-chart-types-cannot-be-combined-with-other/c000806c-e1f1-4fce-9c6c-a60c3c74d4d6

Answer 3

Well, it's absolutely true that some chart types can not be combined with others. This is just the way Excel works (on both PCs and Macs). Please describe in detail what your data looks like and what chart(s) you are trying to create, and maybe we can help.

Answer 4

Hi,

Thanks for replying. I have considered both those things, and they didn't solve my problem. Another suggestion was going into file->options->trust center settings, select file block settings tav and restore defaults. However, I couldn't find this using the options available in my "file" tab. I don't know much about Excel, but I've made graphs before and I don't understand why this is happening.

I will be doing more charts from the data I've collected, this is just a very simple one.

This is what it looks like:

Thank you very much for responding! I am trying to do a Microsoft update and see if that will do it, I sure hope so. 

Thanks again for replying

Answer 5

Hi Bob,

Also thank you for replying so quickly. 

It is a very simple chart I am trying to do and this one is not crucial, but I need to create others to get a more visual view of my data, and if I can't even make a graph from this I wonder how more complicated graphs will be able to be created. 

This is what my data looks like:

I highlight the area E1:K3 for example and try to create a bar graph and then I get the "error" message.

I am trying to do a Microsoft update to see if it will help, which I hope it does because I can't explain why it won't work. However please let me know if you can detect any errors.

Thanks!