I have a very simple worksheet. All I want to do is to set a conditional format that will highlight the first cell of each column if any of the cells beneath it are filled in. I tried =Not(isblank(e2:e19)), with E1 being the cell that will be highlighted. This works for the first cell, but I cannot seem to copy the conditional formatting (using format painter) to any other cell (i.e. F1, G1...), nor can I create a new conditional format for the subsequent columns. Additionally, I tested the formula using in a different cell (F1), and even though the cells beneath are populated, F1 is not highlighted.  What am I doing wrong?

Select all your cells in row 1 and make note of which cell is the activecell - let's say that it is F1. Then use the formula

=AND(F1<>"",COUNTA(F:F)>1)

and excel will update the formula for all the cells that you have selected.

Hi

I quite agree with your solution.

Thanks for sharing your skills in Excel