[Fixed!] Background Color Not Changing in Excel (6 Solutions)

While changing the background color of cells in Microsoft Excel, sometimes we notice that we are not able to change the background color. This happens due to several reasons. Locking the worksheet is one of them. We can easily fix the error. This is a time-saving task also. Today, in this article, we’ll learn six quick and suitable ways to solve the error named background color not changing in Excel effectively with appropriate illustrations.

Reason Behind Background Color Not Changing in Excel

The worksheet’s default fill color cannot be changed in Excel. Every cell in a worksheet has no fill by default. However, you may construct an Excel template if you routinely generate workbooks that have worksheets with cells that all have a particular fill color. If the cell is locked, you can not change the background color of those cells.

Fix the Background Color Not Changing in Excel: 6 Easy Ways

Go through the following easy methods to fix the problem and enhance your knowledge about changing the background color in Excel. Here’s an overview of the dataset for our today’s task.

1. Use the Fill Color Command to Change the Cell Background Color

Using the Fill color option, you can change the background color. From our dataset, we will change the background color of the highest marks. Let’s follow the instructions below to learn!

Steps:

• First of all, select a cell for the convenience of our work. Let’s say, we will select cell D13. After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Font → Fill Color

• As a result, you will be able to change the background color from No Fill color to Green which has been given in the below screenshot.

2. Apply Conditional Formatting

Now, we will apply conditional formatting to change the background color of several cells. From our dataset, we will change the background color of those cells whose value is less than 45. This is an easy and time-saving task also. Let’s follow the instructions below to learn!

Step 1:

• First of all, select a cell range for the convenience of our work. Let’s say, we will select cells B4 to F14.

• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Styles → Conditional Formatting → Highlight Cells Rules → Less Than

Step 2:

• As a result, a Less Than dialog box will appear in front of you.
• From the Less Than dialog box, firstly, type 45 under the Format cells that are LESS THAN typing box.
• Secondly, select a color from the drop-down box named with. We select Light Red Fill with Dark Red Text.
• At last, press the OK option.

• After completing the above process, you will be able to change the background color.

Read More: How to Change Background in Excel Sheet

3. Change Cell Background with Patterns or Fill Effects

You can change a cell’s background as some pattern or effect too. Follow the steps below to accomplish this.

Steps:

• First, choose the cell in which you want to change the background. Subsequently, right-click in the cell and choose the Format Cells… option from the context menu.

• At this time, the Format Cells window will appear. Go to Fill Now, for the pattern background, choose your desired pattern color from the Pattern Color dropdown list.
• Subsequently, choose the pattern style from the Pattern Style dropdown list.
• Hence, select the Fill Effects option.

• After that, a Fill Effects dialog box pops up. From the Fill Effects dialog box, Choose the Two colors option from the Colors list.
• Subsequently, choose your shading style from the Shading styles options.
• Afterward, choose a variant from the Variants samples.
• Consequently, click on the OK button.

• Again, click on the OK option.

• Further, you will be able to change the background color using the Fill effects option.

Read More: How Do I Change the Default Background Color in Excel

4. Use Excel Paint Bucket to Color the Background of a Worksheet

You can change the whole worksheet’s background color by using the Paint Bucket tool. Follow the steps below to do so.

Steps:

• To change the whole worksheet background color by using the Paint Bucket tool, firstly, select the entire worksheet. To do that, press Ctrl + A on your keyboard simultaneously.

• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Font → Fill Color

• As a result, you will be able to change the background color from No Fill color to Dark Blue which has been given in the below screenshot.

5. Utilize the Find Tool

In this method, we will apply the Find tool to change the background color. Let’s follow the instructions below to change the background color!

Steps:

• First of all, select the cells where you want your background changed to specific conditions. Hence, press Ctrl + F on your keyboard simultaneously.

• At this time, the Find and Replace window will appear. On the Find tab, write what you want to find in the Find what text box. Suppose, we want to find the blank cells. So, we leave the text box empty. Subsequently, click on the Find All option.

• Subsequently, the blank cell references will be shown in an added portion of the Find and Replace window. Now, drag and select all the cell references.

• After that, from your Home ribbon, go to,

Home → Font → Fill Color

• As a result, you will be able to change the background color of the blank cells from No Fill color to Red which has been given in the below screenshot.

Read More: How to Change Background from Black to White in Excel

6. Run a VBA Code to Change the Background Color in Excel

Last but not least, I’ll show how to change the background color using a simple VBA code. It’s very helpful for some particular moments. From our dataset, we will change the background color using a simple VBA code. Let’s follow the instructions below to change the background color using a simple VBA code!

Step 1:

• First of all, open a Module, to do that, firstly, from your Developer tab, go to,

Developer → Visual Basic

• After clicking on the Visual Basic ribbon, a window named Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications – Background Color Not Changing will instantly appear in front of you.
• From that window, we will insert a module for applying our VBA code. To do that, go to,

Insert → Module

Step 2:

• Hence, the Background Color Not Changing module pops up. In the Background Color Not Changing module, write down the below VBA code.

Private Sub Background_Color_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
Dim X As Range
Set X = Range("B6:F14")
If Not Intersect(Target, X) Is Nothing Then
Target.Interior.Color = rgbRed
Else
End If
End Sub

• Hence, run the VBA To do that, go to,

Run → Run Sub/UserForm

Step 3:

• After running the VBA code, go back to your Excel worksheet, and select any cell. As a result, you will be able to change the background color of the cells from No Fill color to Red which has been given in the below screenshot.

Things to Remember

👉 The other way is to unprotect a worksheet to change the background color. Hence, you will use the Fill color option to change the background color.

👉 #N/A! error arises when the formula or a function in the formula fails to find the referenced data.

👉 #DIV/0! error happens when a value is divided by zero(0) or the cell reference is blank.

Download Practice Workbook

Download this practice workbook to exercise while you are reading this article.

Conclusion

I hope all of the suitable methods mentioned above to fix the background color do not change errors and will now provoke you to apply them in your Excel spreadsheets with more productivity. You are most welcome to feel free to comment if you have any questions or queries.

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