Suddenly I can't create the simplest of charts (Recommendations are not available for the data you selected"

Question

I'm extremely frustrated. I can't create a very simple graph without getting a message saying something along the lines of, 'there aren't any recommendations.' (see second screen capture below)

I am selecting one column only. The column contains equations that evaluate as shown below under the seconds column. After the data has been selected, I attempt to insert a chart - but I get a weird message instead of chart choices (see second screen capture). If I try to choose a line chart despite seeing the odd message, I get a broken chart as seen below.

In the chart, instead of seeing the data represented as a line in the graph, the data items are placed in raw format at the top of the chart as if they were the title. I have thousands of data points - obviously, it isn't practical to place that much data as the title in the chart. The example below uses a small sample of the data and is only for illustration.

I'd like the data values to be represented as a line - the data values (seconds column) should be the y-values. I don't have explicit x-values placed in cells, but expect Excel to use integers along the x-axis of the chart, the integers would represent each cell that the data sits in, beginning with 1 and ending somewhere in the 10,000s

I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

It gets worse - after attempting to get this graph to work - ALL data evaluates to zero. Why????

Answer 1

Dear @=D,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

I completely understand your confusion. Please know you’re not alone in this, and I’ll help you through every step to get you back in control as quickly as possible.

Even though the values in your seconds column look numeric, Excel is not treating them as numeric chart data. Instead, Excel is interpreting those values as text, which causes three symptoms you’re seeing.

Therefore, firstly, I recommend you highlighting the cells > choose format cells > choose "Number"

If the issue still persists, I recommend you try these steps below for better troubleshooting the issue:

Step 1: Test this in a brand‑new workbook

Open Excel and create a new blank workbook > copy and paste the column you need > insert the chart again

Step 2: Manually setup line chart

Go to Insert tab > in the Chart area > choose "Insert line" option > choose line chart

The char area will show > right click and choose "select data" option

Choose your chart data range > you can edit the "legend entries" and the "horizontal axis labels"

For example, here is my legend entries data > edit series

If the issue still persists, to help me narrow this down further, could you please clarify what type of equations you’re using in the seconds column?

Note: Please understand that as a forum moderator, my role is to provide general guidance and troubleshooting support. I don’t have access to internal systems or backend tools, and I appreciate your understanding of these limits.

I hope the information shared helps point you in the right direction. Please try the steps above and let me know if they work. If not, we can continue working together to narrow this down.

The first response may not always resolve the issue right away, but with your help and more details, we can work toward a solution.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I'm looking forward for your reply.

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