Excel Data Types Not Working

Jim G 134K Reputation points MVP
2022-11-13T16:52:41+00:00

Updated 12/19/2022

Data Types are currently not working as expected for all users of Microsoft Excel. The work-around I recommend is to revert to version 16.64.

If you are affected and haven't already done so, please take a moment to notify Microsoft that you are affected by this problem. The way to do it is to use the Menu Bar and choose Help > Feedback > I Don't Like Something. Microsoft uses the Squeaky Wheel method to prioritize bug fixes. The more reports, the higher up the priority list the bug gets. Please do this from the current update of Excel before reverting to 16.64.

To revert to version 16.64:

Use the Menu Bar and choose Help > Check for Updates to launch AutoUpdate

In AutoUpdate, set updates to Manual to prevent AutoUpdate from automatically updating after you revert to the older build.

In Finder, navigate to the Applications folder

Right-click on Microsoft Excel.app and choose Move to Trash

Restart your Mac

Empty the Mac OS Trash

Use this installer to install build 16.64 of Microsoft Excel: Excel

Some users may be able to find a work-around, which is why I am posting this discussion. Some users will be blocked from this due to licensing or IT department restrictions.

There are third-party solutions available. I don't know which ones are great and which ones are less good. I'm hoping people will try them out and reply here with their results and recommendations.

On the Insert tab of the Ribbon choose Add-ins > Get Add-ins.

In the resulting dialog enter the word Stock in the Search field then click the spyglass icon. There are a lot of add-ins available. Let's chat about them in this thread.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | Other | MacOS

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-01-10T23:52:12+00:00

    I do not see the failure when you using a web browser running Excel. Sounds like you are using that in combination with One Drive. I am not willing to go that route. I have paid for native apps running on my devices, not just online thru a browser.

    My experiences with One Drive and my Apple devices has been bad. Too many bugs in OneDrive, results in corrupted files, never-ending syncs, delays, file conflicts it cannot resolve. Useless for me except in very simple, controlled situations. I had to give up on One Drive and just use iCloud to share files among my devices. That actually works, and works reliably.

    I've started another trip down the rabbit hole of MS support for the Data Types problem, had initial unsatisfying conversation for the problem. Awaiting an update...

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-01-10T23:31:48+00:00

    Hi All!!!

    I have the same issue (MacOS Big Sur and Excel 16.69) and figured out that as I use OneDrive, I open my spreadsheet file online (file right click, view online) and locally (just open the file), so the Excel online does the stock refresh, OneDrive does the sync magic and my local Excel file receives the updated data. The trick is to open it using a web browser when asked using the view online option.

    This workaround is by far not good, but for me it solves my problem. At least as Microsoft finds out how to solve it...

    You can still have the file simultaneously opened (local and online) if you want. So the online version keeps refreshing the data while you work on the local file synched by OneDrive.

    Hope this can help.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-01-10T21:43:29+00:00

    Thanks John for that update. The last time MS Updater ran for me it was still just offering 16.68. I haven't seen that 16.69 was out yet, but I did expect it this week. It's not encouraging that 16.69 has the same issue. But not surprising either given that they apparently don't have a fix and are struggling to narrow down the root cause.

    I spent 5 hours on support today, but no luck either...

    I am looking at not renewing my M365 subscription and switching fully to Google Workspace. Reading about the GOOGLEFINANCE function in Google sheets: https://support.google.com/docs/answer/3093281?hl=en

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-01-10T20:59:13+00:00

    I have submitted a new case to MS, with links to this thread as well as reference to my Tier 3 support case from last summer with this same problem. Waiting for a response...

    By the way, I just updated to 16.69, with no improvement.

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  5. Anonymous
    2023-01-10T20:26:01+00:00

    Yes thank you for all that you are doing Jim.

    I have heard back from Microsoft support and this is what they are now saying:

    "Microsoft Customer Feedback <feedbk@microsoft.com>

    Hi - it has high priority on the development team, but unfortunately I don't have an ETA. We are still working through the details of the potential fix. I will post an update on the forums that I'm aware of when we have more information to share about a timeline for the fix."

    I'm going to take what they say at face value and trust they follow-up in this forum with an update.

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