Auditing Data Validation cell inputs
The Circle Invalid Data command in Excel enables you to identify cells where a user bypassed Data Validation settings by pasting information into a cell. The following steps show you how to perform the audit:
- Choose Review | Unprotect Sheet and enter the password to unprotect the worksheet if necessary.
- Choose Data | Data Validation drop-down menu | Circle Invalid Data, as shown in Figure 5.29.
Figure 5.29 – The Circle Invalid Data command
Red circles will appear around any cells where the user has entered invalid data. No feedback will be offered if all cells comply. Keep in mind, though, that the red circles vanish when you save the file, or when you choose Data | Data Validation drop-down menu | Clear Validation Circles.
Now that you have a sense of the limitations of Data Validation, let’s explore a more robust alternative known as Form Controls. We’ll first need to unhide a hidden...