Formula in Conditional formatting (v4.0.0.3) for large areas

We used to work a lot with conditional formatting. After updating to 4.0.0.3 the following was not working anymore:

Rows from 2 to 39 are completed with data collected from real life. In row 40 we have a model on each column. data is collected for multiple criterias (Ak2:CA39). We check what we find on the field with the model and mark with style RED those entries that are not matching the model.

For this we setup the Formula =if(isempty($a2),0,if(ak2=ak$40,0,1)) in the Conditional Formatting of AK2 for example. Afterwords we copy the conditional formatting to the rest of the cells, Ak2:CA39.

But now it doesn’t work at all. Not even for one cell!!!

Any ideas? How can you do it?

Try selecting first the range where you want to use the formula for the conditional format, and then go to the conditional format.

Take a look at the open bugs about
copy cells with conditional formatting

It seams that if I use the conditional formatting for just one cell, the formula works =if(ISBLANK($a2),0,if(ak2=ak$40,0,1))

The only problem was when it was pasted special to other cells. It is at this moment a bug and it is worked upon.

However, there is a work around:

  1. Make the first cell with the right conditional formatting formula
  2. FILL DOWN/RIGHT the cell (NOT copy/paste special)
  3. Enter the data into the cells
  4. and it works…

I hope the bug is going to be resolved. As i saw in the description it behaves much worse then this.