excel not working fully ( error checking is disable)

Question

I cant click on error checking button its greyed out. what to do .
i go to excel then option then formula in that i cant click on error checking button . plz help me what to do

Answer 1

Hello @sawan patel

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Community! 

Thank you for the update. I understand that the Error Checking button in Excel remains unavailable after initial troubleshooting.  

To identify the exact cause, I would like to gather a few details and then guide you through a precise set of remediation steps. 

1. When the button is greyed out, are you actively typing in a cell or do you see a blinking text cursor inside a cell? 
2. Do multiple worksheet tabs at the bottom appear bold or highlighted at the same time? 
3. Did this workbook open with a yellow bar indicating Protected View or did it come from email or the internet? 
4. Which view is currently selected under the View tab, Normal or Page Layout? 
5. When the issue occurs, is any object selected such as a chart, image, or shape? 
6. Have any Excel add‑ins been installed or updated recently? If there are, kindly disable those add-ins and retest. 
7. Does the issue affect all workbooks or only this specific file? 

  Please reply with your answers to these questions. In the meantime, I recommend you try these next troubleshooting steps below in order. 

1/ Ungroup worksheets (if available) 

2/ Switch to Normal view 

3/ Create a new workbook and enter a simple formula such as =1+1  

If Error Checking is available in the new file but not the original, the original workbook may be corrupted or contain conflicting settings.

In this case, try repairing the corrupted workbook following this article Repair a corrupted workbook - Microsoft Support   

If none of the steps above restore the Error Checking button, please provide the following so I can proceed with deeper analysis. 

1. A screenshot of the full Excel window showing the ribbon and status bar 
2. The answers to the scoping questions at the top of this message 
3. Confirmation of your Excel version and channel, for example Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise Current Channel with the exact version and build 
4. Whether the issue occurs in all workbooks or only in specific files, and whether those files originate from email or the internet 
5. A brief list of any installed Excel add‑ins 

With this information, I can advise the next targeted steps. Thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation. 

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Answer 2

If the error checking button in Excel is greyed out, it may be due to a few reasons. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Check if the workbook is protected: If the workbook or worksheet is protected, certain features, including error checking, may be disabled. You can unprotect the workbook by going to the Review tab and selecting Unprotect Workbook or Unprotect Sheet.
2. Ensure that the calculation options are set correctly: Go to File > Options > Formulas and make sure that the calculation options are set to Automatic. If it's set to Manual, the error checking feature might not function properly.
3. Check for multiple instances of Excel: Sometimes, having multiple instances of Excel running can cause features to behave unexpectedly. Close all instances of Excel and reopen the workbook to see if the issue persists.
4. Repair Office: If the above steps do not resolve the issue, you might need to repair your Office installation. You can do this by going to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall a program, selecting Microsoft 365, and then choosing Change followed by Online Repair.
5. Check for updates: Make sure your Excel is up to date. Go to File > Account > Update Options > Update Now to check for and install any available updates.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, consider reaching out to Microsoft support for further assistance.