Excel Efficiency: Error Prompts Explained

It’s always frustrating to have your work interrupted by error prompts while working in Excel. In this presentation, Excel expert David Ringstrom, CPA, dives deep into the nuances of Excel to explain frequently encountered error prompts, as well as what to do to recover from or mitigate errors that trigger prompts.

David demonstrates every technique at least twice: first, on a PowerPoint slide with numbered steps, and second, in Excel 2016. He draws your attention to any differences in Excel 2013, 2010, or 2007 during the presentation as well as in his detailed handouts. David also provides an Excel workbook that includes most of the examples he uses during the webcast.

Topics covered:

• Removing memory-consuming add-ins that can compromise Excel.
• Using range names to streamline formulas and bookmark key inputs within a workbook.
• Utilizing the Error Checking command to locate cells that contain errors within a worksheet.
• Learning the nuances of circular references in Excel.
• Diagnosing formula errors, such as #VALUE!, #REF!, #N/A, and others.
• Resolving the issue that prevents you from being able to insert rows or columns.
• Learning the nuances of circular references in Excel.
• Understanding how to launch Excel in Safe Mode to troubleshoot Excel issues.
• Updating perpetually licensed versions of Excel by way of service packs.
• Mastering the IFERROR function to display alternate values in lieu of a # sign error.
• Understanding how to manage the Protected View prompt in Excel 2010 and later.
• Identifying the various # sign errors Excel formulas can return.