AutoComplete Doesn't Work with Extended Character (130493)

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you enter a text value that contains an extended character in a cell on your worksheet, and a value that you previously entered in the same column begins with the same character(s), the AutoComplete feature may not complete the entry in the cell, even if you have the AutoComplete feature turned on.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when you enter a value that contains an extended character, such as the character e with the acute accent (ALT+130) when an entry in the column contains the corresponding ASCII character in the same position and is sorted AFTER the value you enter. For example, if you enter a value that begins with the character "e" with the acute accent, this problem may occur if there is a value in the same column that begins with the letter "e" that is sorted AFTER the value that you entered.

For example, when you enter the character "e" with the acute accent in cell A3 below

A1: egg
A2: ebc (where the "e" is the character e with the acute accent)
A3:

the AutoComplete feature does not fill in the rest of the value "ebc" as expected. The feature behaves as if the first characters in cell A1 and A2 were equal.

In the following example, however, when you enter the character "e" with the acute accent in cell A3

A1: egg
A2: egh (where the "e" is the character e with the acute accent)
A3:

the AutoComplete feature completes the value "egh" as expected.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

When you type the first few letters of an entry in a cell, Microsoft Excel can complete the entry for you, based on the entries you've already made in that column if the AutoComplete feature is turned on.

To turn on the AutoComplete feature, do the following:

On the Tools menu, click Options.
Click the Edit tab.
Select the Enable AutoComplete For Cell Values check box and click OK.