Use conditional formatting:
Select all columns A:H, use Format/Conditional Formatting
Change "cell value is" to "formula is"
Assuming A1 is the ACTIVE cell, enter this formula:
=$A1="Closed"
then click Format button, then select Patterns tab, then click the White
font. Click OK, then click the Add button, enter
=$A1="Open"
then click Format button, then select Patterns tab, then click the Freen
font. Click OK, then click the Add button, enter
=$A1="Waiting"
then click Format button, then select Patterns tab, then click the Yellow
font. Click OK, then click OK.
You're all set.

"Jeff W." wrote:

I would like to understand how I can go through my workbook
looking at the word in the first cell of column A and change the
cell format in that row to add a pattern, example

In the "A" column I have one of three words it's either "Closed"
"Open" or "Waiting"

If its "Closed" I would like to select cells "A" through "H" on that
row only and format those cells by changing the color to White

If its "Open" I need to select those same cells and format then
by changing the color to Green

If its "Waiting", I would like to change those cells to Yello


What I have been doing is sorting the sheet by the first column the
manually selecting the rows and columns and formatting those cells
with a right click, format cells, pattern then selecting the color based
on the word in "A" column

If this could happen automatically when ever this word is chnaged that
would be great or even if I could just run a macro to run through the
sheet and update row by row that would work as well

TIA

Jeff W.