Excel Performance Problems

How to Fix Excel Two-Variable Data Table Showing Dashes and Freezing

Guest Writer Sep 30, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where an Excel two-variable data table displays dashes, prevents cell editing, and causes the application to become unresponsive.

How to Fix Excel Two-Variable Data Table Showing Dashes and Freezing

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating or interacting with a two-variable data table for What-If Analysis.
Observed behavior: The data table displays dashes instead of values, cells become uneditable due to array formula restrictions, and Excel may stop responding completely.

Before you start

Save any other open workbooks and ensure you have closed heavy background applications to free up system memory before attempting to recreate your data table.

Solution 1Recommended

Restart Excel and Recreate the Two-Variable Data Table

Since freezing during a What-If Analysis calculation is often caused by a temporary glitch, force-restarting the application and carefully reapplying the data table formula is the best first step.

Data table results cannot be edited individually because they are generated as an array formula across the entire selected range. The freezing behavior is an unexpected glitch and is not a limitation of the data table feature itself.

Force close Excel

Close the frozen Excel application. If it is completely unresponsive, open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), select Microsoft Excel from the list, and click End Task.

Reopen the workbook

Launch Excel again and open the affected workbook. If the Document Recovery pane appears on the left, recover the most recent saved version.

Clear the corrupted data table

Highlight the entire range of result cells containing the dashes (do not select the headers or the main formula cell) and press the Delete key to clear the array.

Recreate the data table

Select the cell range containing your formula and the empty grid. Go to the Data tab, click What-If Analysis, and select Data Table. Carefully map the exact Row input cell and Column input cell, then click OK.

Restart Excel and Recreate the Two-Variable Data Table

Array Formula Restriction: You cannot change, move, or delete a single cell within the data table results. If you need to make corrections, you must clear the entire calculated results range first.

Solution 2

Update Microsoft Office to Fix Performance Bugs

If Excel consistently freezes when processing data tables, a software bug might be the culprit. Installing the latest Office updates can resolve known performance and calculation issues.

Create Two-Variable Data Tables Easily with WPS Spreadsheet

Avoid unexpected freezes and effortlessly perform complex What-If Analysis using WPS Spreadsheet. It provides robust, stable tools for data tables and fully supports your existing Microsoft Excel files.

1. Set up your base formula: Open your workbook in WPS Spreadsheet and enter your base formula, ensuring the row and column input references are properly set up outside the table area.
2. Select the target data range: Highlight the entire range for your data table, ensuring you include the formula cell at the top-left intersection and all empty cells designated for the results.
3. Access What-If Analysis: Navigate to the Data tab on the top ribbon menu, click on the What-If Analysis button, and select Data Table from the options.
4. Define row and column inputs: In the pop-up dialog box, select your specific Row input cell and Column input cell from your worksheet, then click OK to instantly generate the table values.

Seamlessly perform What-If Analysis and generate two-variable data tables without freezing.Highly compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formulas, array formatting, and macros.Lightweight software that runs smoothly on low-resource devices during complex calculations.Free to download and use with a familiar, user-friendly ribbon interface.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't I edit a single cell in my Excel data table?

Data tables in Excel use an array formula (shown in brackets like {=TABLE()}) to calculate results across multiple cells simultaneously. Because they function as a grouped array, Excel prevents you from changing, deleting, or editing individual cells within the result range. You must delete the entire result range to make any structural changes.

What does it mean when my data table results show dashes?

If your data table displays dashes, it usually means the calculation resulted in zero and the cell formatting is set to 'Accounting' or a specific custom format where zeros appear as dashes. It can also indicate that the row and column input cells were mapped incorrectly during setup, causing the formula to fail and return zero.

How do I safely delete a two-variable data table?

To delete a data table, highlight all the cells containing the calculated array results. Do not include the row headers, column headers, or the top-left formula cell in your selection. Once only the result cells are highlighted, press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Does WPS Spreadsheet fully support What-If Analysis data tables?

Yes, WPS Spreadsheet fully supports the What-If Analysis feature, including both one-variable and two-variable data tables. The functionality operates exactly as it does in Microsoft Excel, and files containing these data tables can be opened and edited seamlessly in both programs.

Excel & Data Problems