Excel for Windows (Desktop Application)
Welcome to the Excel for Windows (Desktop Application) feedback forum! This is the place for users to send us suggestions and ideas on how to improve. If you think you have found a bug, please send us feedback in-app instead! To do so, please click “File”, then “Feedback”, then “Send a Frown” in Excel. This way, we will get detailed information that will help us better diagnose the problem.
To help us build the best version of Excel ever, we have partnered with UserVoice, a third-party service, to create this site to hear your suggestions and ideas for the next version of Excel. Your use of the portal and your submission is subject to the UserVoice Terms of Service & Privacy Policy, including the license terms. Please do not send any novel or patentable ideas, copyrighted materials, samples or demos for which you do not want to grant a license to Microsoft.
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Fix the "There's a problem with the clipboard" issue
The issue with "There's a problem with the clipboard..." while copy and pasting is still as issue. I was using Office 2010 and there was no problem. I am now using Office 365 and this issue is prevalent. It manifests itself when pasting a value from a cell containing a formula and disappears when disabling Live Preview. I was able to copy and paste "normal" cell contents fine before the error message appears so the official response of "another program has locked the clipboard" doesn't really hold up. It looks more like Excel has locked the clipboard from itself.
There…
56 votesThank you for voting for “there’s a problem with the clipboard” issue. I think this refers to this error dialog: “There’s a problem with the clipboard, but you can still paste your content within this workbook."
When Excel shows this dialog after a copy (CTRL+C) action, it means that another app has a lock on the system clipboard. In this situation you can still paste within Excel. However you cannot paste to another app like Word or Outlook which uses the clipboard.
A while ago we made some improvements for Office365 users so that this error message only shows once per Excel instance. This was based on customer feedback – the design change prevents it popping up multiple successive times when the clipboard is locked. We have also considered never showing the error dialog, but there was user feedback that this message is informative and helpful in some cases.
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Number format thousand separator and no decimals
Every time (many days a year) I train people in Excel, someone ask why there is no button or shortcut to obtain a number format with "thousand separator and no decimals". At least - in northern Europe - this is the most common used number format. If "button-solution" not possible for Microsoft in order to have common buttons world-wide, at least a shortcut for this has been much appreciated. (Note that the current button for thousand separator and two decimals could not be used, though the alignment in that format are not disired/good and two decimals used).
Today I teach…613 votesThanks for all the support and comments about this request. We don’t have plans to add this format in the near future, but we’ll keep monitoring the votes as we prioritize this suggestion among other requests.
There are a few ways that you can enable this already, as mentioned in some of the comments.
1. Set the style used when you click the comma button.
– This can be done by modifying the cell style called “Comma”, which is used when you click the comma button. See the screen shot in the comments for details, or look at this article to modify the style – https://support.microsoft.com/office/apply-create-or-remove-a-cell-style-472213bf-66bd-40c8-815c-594f0f90cd22.
– For existing workbooks, you’d need to set the style in each workbook.
– To make it the default in new workbooks, you can create a new workbook, make the change to the “Comma” style, and then save the workbook as a template… -
Enable Excel to send a Task to Outlook
Some users use Excel for tracking of various tasks or operational reviews. At the end, follow-up minutes and tasks will have to be created. It would be great to have a function like in OneNote to create a Task in Outlook. Information about Due Date and Assignee should be embeddable into the cell with a little popup window.
When in Outlook, you should be able to click the task and go back to the Excel document (and specific cell) stored on the SharePoint.32 votesThank you for taking your time to suggest and vote for this feature. We do think that this suggestion has merit but we don’t think that we’ll be able to devote time to it in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
Thanks,
Excel Team -
Add Get Parameter button to Power Query and avoid Privacy / Formula.Firewall problems
It's fantastic that you can pick up named ranges in Excel and pass them to Power Query as parameters. However the process is cumbersome and often results in Formula.Firewall warnings or other issues.
This leads to having to switch Privacy Levels to "Ignore" or having to write a query within a query rather than nice and clean "parameter" queries.
It would really simplify things if we could quickly create parameter queries (including a drop down to select parameter type) and that these queries would be immune from the Privacy warnings.
346 votesHi all,
Thank you for taking your time to suggest and vote for adding Get Parameter button to Power Query. We do think that this suggestion has merit but we don’t think that we’ll be able to devote time to it in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
Thanks,
Guy Hunkin
Excel Program Manager -
Setting Autofill Default
Setting Autofill Default
No option to set AutoFill default to the option you want.
Even for numbers or dates you should be able to use "Copy Cells" in stead of "Fill series"142 votesThis is a good idea, but we don’t think we’ll be able to support this in the near future. As a workaround, you can use the autocorrect widget in the bottom right of the fill range to set the option you want.
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Incremental data load in PowerPivot through Power Query
Please,
We work with very large databases. Every time we update the information, it reloads all the data in the Power Pivot through Power Query, which takes a long time.
Undoubtedly we can make separate queries with the history and have the results added by DAX, but this forces us to duplicate all the metrics in DAX and parameterize everything.
Our request is whether there could be any way to update the data incrementally???? it would be fantastic.
Thank you.
PD.- Now we are using and we recommend our clients to use PowerUpdate that allows to program the update of…
48 votesThank you for taking your time to suggest and vote for this feature! That’s a great suggestion, but unfortunately we don’t think that we’ll be able to devote time to it in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
Guy Hunkin
Excel Team -
Open multiple files with the same file name
Allow excel to open files with the same name but different location at the same time
30 votesThanks for your suggestion! Unfortunately we will not be able to address this in the near future. We’ll keep tracking the voting.
The reason you can’t have 2 workbooks open with the same name is due to the way that linked workbooks are managed. If you have multiple workbooks open and you create a link between them, Excel shows the filename of the linked file. If there are 2 workbooks with the same name, then the formula would be ambiguous. You can read more about how Excel manages external links here – https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/328440/description-of-link-management-and-storage-in-excel.
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Allow interaction with Excel while in Power Query
Please make the Power Query editor window (Get Data) non-model. When building complex queries, we often need to go back to Excel to change a worksheet and look at data. Right now, the Power Query editor window takes control over the application, preventing interaction with Excel.
The current behaviour makes it very difficult to do things like the following:
-Mid query, go back and check a worksheet to see exactly what a cell value may be that you want to refer to
-When we have a static table in Excel and are trying to build a query that lands an…622 votesThank you for taking your time to suggest and vote for allowing interaction with Excel while in Power Query Editor window. We do think that this suggestion has merit but we don’t think that we’ll be able to devote time to it in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
Guy Hunkin
Excel Team -
Pin worksheet tab
I would like a simple option to allow you to pin worksheets so they are always available in the workbook irrespective of the number of worksheets there are.
I.e. when you right click the worksheet tab there is an option to pin so you can quickly gain access when you have a large number of worksheets.
70 votesThis is a great suggestion – thank you for taking the time to give us feedback! Unfortunately, we will not be able to work on pinned worksheet tabs in the near future. We’ll keep tracking the votes on this one.
-Sharon -
Update Linked Pictures (formerly called the Camera tool)
Linked pictures give us the ability to switch figures between charts and tables instantly. They allow formulas to determine which icon to display. They allow us to set up visual alerts. And a lot more.
But linked pictures have a low resolution, which causes small text to be jaggy. They don't have a manual calculation mode. They can mess up data validation. And they can become distorted.
Please fix these issues.
74 votesThanks for your enthusiasm about this “magic” feature. We don’t have any plans in the near term to make changes to linked pictures, but please continue to submit your votes/comments! We’ll keep watching this discussion to help us continue product planning. Thanks again!
Johnnie, Excel Program Manager
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Filtering: Show count in filter box and add navigation buttons
Filtering:
When filter button is pressed on any column, the drop down menu should -
Show number of recurrences of each unique value displayed in the drop down list, in brackets on the right side of each unique value, in grey font. This will be very helpful in knowing, by just dropping down filter menu, how many records are there for each of unique values shown in the filter drop down list. Currently we have to filter each value and run a countif formula in a help column or look at the bottom line that shows how many records are…
53 votesThanks for all of the suggestions related to filtering. Unfortunately, we will not be able to address this in the near future. We’ll continue to track the voting.
-Sharon -
Be able to protect Power Query with password
Now any user can edit and change Power Query connections, it would be very interesting to be able to protect Power Queries with a password.
Thanks
347 votesThank you for taking your time to suggest and vote for being able to protect Power Query with a password. This is a good idea, but we don’t think we’ll be able to support this in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
Guy Hunkin
Excel Team -
Format cell as a checkbox (TRUE, FALSE)
Offer a format that displays the boolean value of a cell as a checked box if TRUE, unchecked box if FALSE, grayed box if text or other nonbool.
Bonus: Toggle value OnClick would be intuitive.
Lots of uses for this. Current options are awkward for users. Yes/No dropdown is not as good as a checkbox for touch/mobile.
237 votesThanks for the idea! We think formatting cells as a checkbox is an interesting suggestion, but we won’t be able to address it in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
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Restore MDI file handling (open all files in one window); Kill SDI (each spreadsheet opens in a seperate window)
In the good versions of Excel (prior to 2007) one could open multiple workbooks in the same window. Now, one has multiple instances of Excel (and every other Office app) whenever one opens more than one document / spreadsheet.
Again, here are the issues:
- Stability - I experience ~3X Excel crashes in 2016 (SDI) as compared to 2010 (MDI)
- Screen Space / Real Estate - Drastically reduced screen space when each workbook requires its own Ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar and Formula Bar
- Toolbar to Workbook Confusion - One Ribbon + Quick Access Toolbar + Formula Bar to control all workbooks…
1,303 votesThanks for the support and the detailed discussion around this suggestion. We understand that there are some advantages and disadvantages with both MDI (multi-document interface) and SDI (single-document interface), and we currently do not have plans to revert to MDI. We do want to improve the experience with SDI so you can get your work done efficiently, and this post has helped toward that goal.
Some of the specific issues mentioned are addressed as follows:
– Stability: This has been a focus over the past several years, and the monthly releases in 2020 have been among the most reliable ever in terms of avoiding crashes.
- Screen space – while it won’t get all the space back, you can minimize the ribbon to save some space. It only shows when needed.
- Navigation between workbooks: you can use CTRL+F6, SHIFT+CTRL+F6, CTRL+TAB or SHIFT+CTRL+TAB to switch to the next workbook. … -
Add "Run R Script" option to Excel 2016 and Excel 2013 "Power Query" add-in, as it is for Power BI.
In July 2016, a "Run R Script" option was added to Power BI Desktop. This option would be a huge benefit to have in Excel 2016 and Excel 2013 Power Query add-in also.
298 votesR Script is an important feature and we realize that. However, we don’t think we’ll be able to support this in the near future. We’ll continue tracking votes for it.
Guy Hunkin
Principal PM, Excel Team -
recent filters
Have a Control with the most recent filters (last 5 to 10 filters), so the filters can be reapplied to an existing table.
This should enable power users to work faster and Archive more in Excel.
38 votesThanks for taking the time to give us feedback about your filtering experience. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to address this in the near future. We’ll keep tracking the votes, though.
-Sharon -
Be able to protect Power Pivot data model and measures with password
When you create a data model and measures in PowerPivot with PRO versions, users can modify and edit both.
Users and customers that have no idea on how the model has been build can make a lot of damage and dysfunction.
As well as VBA has it would be very interesting that Power Pivot has the option to be able to protect data model and measures with a password.
128 votesThank you for suggesting this feature, but this is not something we’re likely to implement anytime soon. The reality is that this sort of feature only helps to keep honest folks honest, and doesn’t provide true security, because anyone with permission to a workbook can modify that workbook. For scenarios where the database really needs to be securely maintained, a better answer is to deploy the data model to either an Analysis Services server or to Power BI. By doing that, the data model (an AS tabular database) will be maintained independently of the workbook, and users will be able to connect to the database and query it from their Excel PivotTables but will not be able to modify it.
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Make the Go To box SCALABLE
Formulas / Trace Dependents / make the resulting list box SCALABLE.
It is 100% useless if the full name of the referenced cells cannot be seen in their entirety, which is usually the case.
I know others have been asking for this for YEARS.
22 votesThanks for the feedback! Unfortunately we will not be able to address this in the near future. We’ll keep tracking the votes on this.
-Sharon -
Allow the option to list pinned files either alphabetically or by recent use.
Excel 2016 switched the order of the pinned files from alphabetical to most recently used. IMHO, that was a big improvement. Apparent;y that change has been reversed.
Pre-2016 I only pinned 4 of 5 files that were hard to find or only used monthly. Files I used Daily I pulled from the recently used files.
In 2016 I switched to pinning about 20 files. The ones I used daily or weekly are always near the top. The ones I use monthly are farther down but easier to find than going to the various directories.
For me, going back to the…
66 votesThanks for taking the time to suggest this! We think having more control over how your pinned files are sorted is a great idea, but we won’t be able to address it in the near future. We’ll keep tracking the voting, though.
-Sharon -
Enable Headers and Footers to include variables based on a cell reference
It would be great if a cell reference could be used within a header and/or footer
28 votesThanks for taking the time to share this suggestion with us. We unfortunately won’t be able to address it in the near future – we’ll keep tracking the votes, though.
-Sharon
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