Did you look at my page on Conditional Formatting, because it
sounds like you are one row off, like I indicated.

Another possibility, Conditional Formatting formulas are checked
from the top down C.F. 1 then 2 then 3
if you get a true condition on the first one the other two will not
be checked.

What you need to know for C.F. is what columns to you want to be
colored by C.F. Those are the columns that must be selected when you
create your C.F.

You also need to create your formula based on what the active cell is.
That takes care of that row. The other rows are processed like you did
a fill down.

You can test your formulas in three helper columns on each row
Enter each of your formulas across the three helper columns.
The idea of C.F. is to return True or False. If you do not get the
correct indication then your C.F. is incorrect. Use $ in font of the
column part of the address so that you can use a different cell in your
formula.

The above should tell you if your formulas are working or not, but you
might also check the following if the data is not what it seems to you.
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel...tm#debugformat
---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"Bettergains" wrote in message ...
hello David:
Something's up. Actually i found your Select Case code in another thread
and it isn't working. Only the cell of the first case is being
color-coded--not the row per the target cell. I have another case, and it
isn't working at all. The conditions are looking for a string in Column F.
I found the numeric value of the color for the 2nd Case by using a macro (it
is #20). What could possibly be wrong? I'm running xls 2003;

"David McRitchie" wrote:

When you entered that specific formula
=$D2 = "string".
was D2 the active cell, and did you include the equal sign ?.
The cells that are selected are the cells that get colored, the formula
is based on the active cell, in this formula any cell on row 2 could be
the active cell, in fact with that formula you could color the entire
row if you wanted to. Note normally if you select all cells or a
column(s) a cell on the first row would actually be selected is the
colored row off by one row..

Conditional Formatting:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/condform.htm

---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"Bettergains" wrote in message
...
Hello:
What could possibly be keepping the conditional formatting from working. I
have tried a very simple format: if text in col D = "hello", backfill is
light yellow:

I have used the "format, conditional formatting" dialogue using the
"forumula is" $D2 = "string". It isn't working. Any ideas?

=""""""