I'm trying to do a "what-if analysis" for my beginning Excel class and when I
click on the appropriate cell and then the Data ribbon, all of the options
are greyed out. While struggling with this, I noticed the options on the
Insert ribbon are also greyed out but the other tabs are fine. I appreciate
any insight.

It sounds like the worksheet you are working on may be protected or in a shared mode. This can cause certain ribbons and options to become disabled. Here are a few steps you can take to try and resolve the issue:

1. Check if the worksheet is protected: Go to the Review ribbon and see if the "Unprotect Sheet" option is available. If it is, click on it and enter the password if prompted. This should unlock the worksheet and allow you to access the Data and Insert ribbons.
2. Check if the workbook is shared: Go to the Review ribbon and see if the "Share Workbook" option is selected. If it is, click on it and uncheck the "Allow changes by more than one user at the same time" option. This should disable the shared mode and allow you to access the Data and Insert ribbons.
3. Check if the worksheet is in Compatibility Mode: If the workbook was created in an older version of Excel, it may be in Compatibility Mode which can cause certain features to be disabled. Go to the File ribbon and see if the "Compatibility Mode" option is selected. If it is, click on it and select "Convert" to convert the workbook to the current version of Excel. This should enable all features and ribbons.

I hope one of these solutions helps you resolve the issue and allows you to complete your successfully. Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hi,

Check the Review tab, the worksheet may be protected.
Check you do not have multiple sheets selected, [Group] will be
displayed in the title bar is you have.

Cheers
Andy


Akcath wrote:
I'm trying to do a "what-if analysis" for my beginning Excel class and when I
click on the appropriate cell and then the Data ribbon, all of the options
are greyed out. While struggling with this, I noticed the options on the
Insert ribbon are also greyed out but the other tabs are fine. I appreciate
any insight.

--

Andy Pope, Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.andypope.info

[quote=Andy Pope;904548]Hi,

Check the Review tab, the worksheet may be protected.
Check you do not have multiple sheets selected, [Group] will be
displayed in the title bar is you have.

Cheers
Andy

[quote]

I had to register to thank you for this, been looking for ages and this is the first post I've seen than mentions the [grouped] aspect.

Many thanks,

James