XL2000: Worksheet_Change Does Not Run When Worksheet Sorted

In Microsoft Excel, a Worksheet_Change macro assigned to a worksheet may not run when the worksheet is changed.

This problem occurs if you sort a range of cells within the worksheet.

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

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements. In Excel, you can create a Worksheet_Change macro that runs whenever data within a specific worksheet is changed. To create such a macro:

1. On the Tools menu, point to Macro, and then click Visual Basic Editor. Or, press ALT+F11.
2. In the Project Explorer window, you should see entries similar to the following:

         VBAProject (Book1)
            Microsoft Excel Objects
               Sheet1 (Sheet1)
               Sheet2 (Sheet2)
               Sheet3 (Sheet3)
   						

   Double-click the entry for the worksheet to which you want to assign a Worksheet_Change macro (Sheet1, for example).
3. In the Code window, type the following code:

   Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Excel.Range)
       MsgBox "The worksheet was changed!"
   End Sub
   					

4. On the File menu, click Close and Return to Microsoft Excel.

If you enter a value in a cell in Sheet1, the Worksheet_Change macro runs, and a message box appears with the message, "The worksheet was changed!". The macro runs when you make a change to data in the worksheet, such as entering a value in a cell or refreshing a PivotTable.

However, the macro will not run if you sort a range within the worksheet. Sorting a worksheet does not trigger the Worksheet_Change event, so the macro does not run.