XL2000: #N/A Chart Label Issues

In a Microsoft Excel chart, a data label with a #N/A value in a column chart obscures the label next to it.

The grab handles for the #N/A label appear in the upper-left corner of the plot area of the chart, but the #N/A label is displayed on top of the label in the column to its immediate left.

To work around this issue, delete or move the #N/A label. Because the grab handles for the #N/A label appear near the upper-left area of the plot area of the chart, you must cause the label and grab handles to join before you can delete or move the label.

To move or delete a label with a value of #N/A, follow these steps:

1. Type the following data in a new Excel worksheet:

      A1: A  B1: B  C1: C  D1: D  E1: E
      A2  1  B2: 2  C2: 3  D2: 4  E2: 5
   					

2. In cell D2, type the following formula:
   =NA()
   Cell D2 now contains the value #N/A.
3. Select cells A1:E2.
4. Click Chart Wizard on the standard toolbar.
5. In step 1 of the Chart Wizard, accept the defaults, and then click Next.
6. In step 2 of the Chart Wizard, accept the defaults, and then click Next.
7. In step 3 of the Chart Wizard, on the Data Labels tab, click Show value, and then click Finish.
   
   Note that the label "#N/A" obscures the label "3" in column C.
8. Click any column label to make the label grab handles appear.
   
   Note that the grab handles for #N/A appear in the upper-left section of the plot area of the chart.
9. Click #N/A to select the #N/A label.
10. Click the area inside the #N/A grab handles (upper-left section of the plot area).
    
    Note that the grab handles disappear and that #N/A appears instead of the grab handles.
11. Click the #N/A label that obscures column C.
    
    Note that the #N/A label disappears.
12. Click any column label to make the label grab handles appear.
13. Click the #N/A in the upper-left section of the plot area.
    
    Press DELETE to delete the label, or drag the label where you want.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.