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Highlighting/Changing the cell color for multiple cells in a column

  1. #1
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    Highlighting/Changing the cell color for multiple cells in a column

    Hey again everyone. I'm working with a huge database now that includes in each row one column that lists phone numbers. I want to be able to highlight when multiple rows have the same phone number. I can sort them so that they'll be assembled together on the database, but trying to look through about 9000 rows makes me go crosseyed eventually. I was hoping there's a way to get excel to simply change the color of the cell (or alternate highlighting and not) when the phone number changes.

    So for example:

    Steve 555-1212
    Barry 555-7000
    Martin 555-7000

    Clara 555-1345
    Emily 555-1345
    Sandra 555-6754
    Pete 555-7890

    Something along those lines, only with the cell color changing, not the text, so it's easily identifiable which numbers are the same going down the list (which appear to either be duplicates or the same number for multiple rows) and a way to identify when the numbers change at a glance.

    Is this doable?

  2. #2
    Forum Expert NBVC's Avatar
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    Re: Highlighting/Changing the cell color for multiple cells in a column

    Make it so this data starts in row 2...

    Then assuming it starts in A2 and B2, then in C1 enter a 0 and in C2 enter;

    =MOD(OFFSET($C2,-1,0) --($B2<>OFFSET($B2,-1,0)),2)

    and copy down.

    Then select the range in column B to highlight,

    go to Format|Conditional Formatting and select Formula Is from 1st drop down menu. Then enter =C2=0

    then click Format and choose from the Pattern tab.

    Click Ok

    Click Ok to finish.
    Where there is a will there are many ways.

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