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fill color not working in excel

Anonymous
2025-06-29T19:57:27+00:00

fill coloring and all border options not working in my excel

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-06-29T21:54:49+00:00

    Hi RAHEMANALI,  

    Thank you for reaching out to us.  

    I understand how important it is to have full access to Excel’s formatting features 

    Here are a few steps you can try to troubleshoot the problem: 

    1. Check for Cell Protection 
      • If the worksheet or cells are protected, formatting options like fill color and borders may be disabled.
      • Go to Review > Unprotect Sheet.
    2. Ensure You're Not in Page Layout View 
      • Some formatting options behave differently in Page Layout view.
      • Switch to Normal View via View > Workbook Views > Normal.
    3. Verify Conditional Formatting 
      • Conditional formatting can override manual formatting.
      • Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Clear Rules to remove any rules temporarily.
    4. Check for High Contrast Mode (Windows) 
      • If your system is in High Contrast mode, Excel may not display colors properly.
      • Go to Settings > Ease of Access > High Contrast and turn it off.
    5. Try a Different Workbook 
      • Open a new Excel file and test fill color and borders.
      • If it works there, the issue may be specific to your original file.
    6. Update or Repair Excel 
      • Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now.
      • If updating doesn’t help, try Repairing Office via Control Panel.
    7. Add-ins Conflict 
      • Disable add-ins via File > Options > Add-ins > Manage: Excel Add-ins > Go and uncheck all.

    If none of these steps resolve the issue, please let us know: 

    • The version of Excel you're using
    • Whether the issue occurs in all workbooks or just one
    • Any recent changes or updates made to your system

    We’ll be happy to assist you further based on that information. 

    Warm regards, 

    Hani-N - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-07-01T23:41:51+00:00

    Hi RAHEMANALI,  

    As other users will also search information in this community, kindly mark it as an answer, your valuable vote will definitely also help other users who have similar queries easily to find the correct channel and useful information more quickly.   

    I appreciate your kind words.  

    Have a nice day and stay healthy  

    Hani-N - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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