Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar: Solving the Mystery

In summary, the circular reference toolbar pops up whenever I execute a macro that I wrote, even if I have other workbooks open. I don't know what to do to get it to stop.
  • #1
FredGarvin
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I consider myself a pretty advanced user of Excel, but this one has me stumped. I don't deal with toolbars very often, so I am in uncharted territory.

I have a group of macros. At one time, when I ran one of the macros, I realized I had a circular argument and it created an error. No biggie. I fixed it and everything is hunky-dory. However, even though I do not have it is specified anywhere, whenever I run the macro again (without the error) the circular reference tool bar pops up in the middle of the screen. I have searched high and low in the basic set up options and I know I have no lines of code loading this toolbar.

Does anyone know of any place that this tool bar is magically appearing from? It doesn't happen in any other macro or file except the one I mentioned.
 
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  • #2
Is this a Macro you created, downloaded or is part of Excel?

I wonder if it's something in Visual Basic.

On the other hand - typcial MS. :rolleyes: :grumpy:
 
  • #3
Do you get it even in new spreadsheets, or just when you open one that you originally used the macro in? I had a similar problem a few versions ago (haven't used macros since because it annoyed me more than just doing stuff the long way :redface:) that EVERY time I opened a spreadsheet that I had once used a macro in, even after telling it EVERY time to just delete that dang macro and leave me alone, I got a pop-up window telling me there was a macro and asking if I wanted to open it. :grumpy:

Sorry, I have no solution, just wondering if it's something associated with Excel never forgetting you used a particular macro for some weird reason when you open a file that used it.
 
  • #4
... only thing can come up is that you'd had this

Application.CommandBars("Circular Reference").Visible = True

somewhere in your macro, but that is pretty easy to notice & think you've already debugged this option ... :frown: ... perhaps some other bar like 'formula auditing' (which has some of the same tools) can make it appear. Weird.
 
  • #5
To answer all in the order presented:

1) Astro: The macros are all mine. I wrote them. They are part of my personal.xls so they are loaded every time I start Excel.

2.) Moonbear: It happens only when I exectute that macro. If I load any other workbooks, start new ones, etc... it doesn't do it. It is somehow tied to the macro.

3.) Perennial: That was the first thing I did look for. I thought maybe a fluke macro record or something happened, but I couldn't find it anywhere.

I had a somewhat similar problem a while ago with a custom footer that kept getting changed back to an old value. Even after I manually changed it I couldn't figure out why it kept going back to the old version. Then I realized there was a custom format as part of a macro. After I changed that, everything was a-ok. I was thinking this might be somewhat similar, but I haven't been able to find anything like that as of yet.

I guess I'll just have to copy the macro down and then delete the old one to see if that does the trick. I wonder if it's tied to the workbook somehow and not the macro...? hmmm...
 
  • #6
try exporting the macro, deleting it from the code tree and then reimport it...
 
  • #7
I'll give that a go.

Thanks everyone.
 

1. What is the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar?

The Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar is a tool used in Microsoft Excel that allows users to easily identify and fix circular references in their formulas. It appears as a circular arrow icon in the toolbar.

2. How does the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar work?

The toolbar works by highlighting any cells that are involved in a circular reference. It also provides options for users to break the circular reference, trace the precedents and dependents of the cell, and view the formula for the cell.

3. Why is the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar important?

Circular references can cause errors in Excel formulas and can be difficult to identify without the help of a tool like the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar. By using this toolbar, users can save time and ensure the accuracy of their data.

4. How do I access the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar?

The toolbar is typically located in the "Formulas" tab in Microsoft Excel. If it is not visible, users can enable it by going to "File" > "Options" > "Add-ins" > "Excel Add-ins" and check the box next to "Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar."

5. Can the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar be used in other spreadsheet programs?

No, the Mysterious Circular Reference Toolbar is a feature specific to Microsoft Excel and is not available in other spreadsheet programs.

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