Vlookup help updating

[Scanlon7]

Hello everyone.
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I'm working on a staff deployment sheet for work. Different columns are headed with each area of deployment and staff names are entered in the column based on where they are deployed. there are tabs with the sheet repeated for each day of the week.
I also have another sheet which in short counts up how many times staff have been deployed in each area (each column)
I have set up a hidden column alongside each column which shows how many times staff been on the area there name is entered in. e.g. if there name is in column b then then column c looks at the sheet holding how many times they have been in this area for the week and displays it, this is to try and make a fairer deployment.
the formula I use for this is "=VLOOKUP(B8,'Associate Tracker'!A3:L499,5,0)"
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B8 is the cell the name is entered into, associate tracker is the sheet to look at A3:L499 are the cells that holds all the information ( a being the employees name to look for) 5,0 is the cell to reference when looking for the number of times deployed in this area.
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Sorry if this doesn't make sense. And if you would like me to upload the workbook to help this make sense please let me know.
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Anyway Your probably wondering what the point is to this explanation. Well Would someone be so kind as to help me?
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I copy all the staff names on to the sheet for each day from another workbook that shows their rota so that I only have the staff on each days deployment that are working. Now before adding all the above to it I would drag names around to other columns so that i could easily shuffle people about. however when I do this the column that shows how many times staff have been deployed on an area doesnt update.
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So if i moved dave from b8 to b9 the vlookup next to b8 will remain the same and b9 will lose its reference to b9.
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Is there a way to get this to work or should i be using some other formula instead of VLOOKUP??
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Thank you for any help.
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And please forgive any bad grammar I'm typng this as quick as possible on my phone.
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Thanks,
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Logan.

[Scanlon7]

Sorry title should have said vlookup not vblookup

[FDibbins]

Hi Scanlon7 and welcome to the forum

I fixed your thread title for you (next time, click "edit" on your 1st post, click advanced, and change it there)

its hard to suggest options without seeing your data/layout etc, but "moving" data around when it is being referenced by formulas is never a good idea, it messes up all the references. If you must shift things around, it would be better to copy/paste, but perhaps, if we can see your data, we can offer alternatives?

To attach a file to your post,
click advanced (next to quick post),
scroll down until you see "manage file",
click that and select "add files" (top right corner).
click "select files" find your file, click "open" click "upload" click 'done" bottom right. click "submit reply"

Once the upload is completed the file name will appear below the input boxes in this window.
You can then close the window to return to the new post screen.

[Scanlon7]

Hi thankyou, I will upload it once I am home due to silly internet restrictions at work not letting me acces this site.

Just to explain a little bit clearer I wouldn't be moving a formula, I would be moving a name that the formula in the cell next to it would be looking for but it seems like once I move the name vlookup remains stuck
With the information it first looked up for me. This only happens if I drag to move the cell contents to another cell, if I deleted the name and entered it somewhere else it will update the cell with the vlookup formula.

[FDibbins]

Yes, I understand it's a cell within a range in that formula, but depending on the situation, excel throws a temper tantrum when you try and do that lol

I will wait for your file

[Scanlon7]

Yes, I understand it's a cell within a range in that formula, but depending on the situation, excel throws a temper tantrum when you try and do that lol

I will wait for your file

Is there any chance you could pm me your email address to mail the file to you? as it is 5mb and not sure how I would shrink that to fit 1mb cap

[:) Sixthsense :)]

Try to Add the file in winzip, which will reduce the file size.