How do I Insert rows in excel while maintaining formulas from previous rows? Is there a way to Insert but copy previous row's formulas?

In tables where formulas reference cells above or below the row in which the formula resides, cell references in those formulas get mangled (set to #REF or changed to other cells in other rows) when inserting and deleting rows in the table. This happens because Excel always tries to maintain cell references when making changes to the structure of a worksheet. But this very functionality can lead to undesired results in a table that is frequently manipulated by inserting and deleting rows.

The most obvious solution to this problem is to not reference specific rows above or below the row in which the formula resides. If this is not possible then use the OFFSET function. For example, if a formula in row 6 references a cell in row 5, column A, replace the reference A5 with OFFSET(A6,-1,0). When formulas are constructed this way Excel will always leave the cell references alone when inserting and deleting rows.

Kevin

This is good Kevin.  I will add that.

But, when a row is inserted it does not copy anything at all from the previous rows (or the one after it).  This causes a problem where I have 80 rows and someone is in line 20 and inserts a row and the cells in the new rows have no formula at all.

When a row is inserted, I need the previous formula to get copied into it so my bottom line is intact.

This is great!  How can I do this?

Dear iquagmire,
Would it not be easier to simply protect your spreadsheet against the inserting and deleting of rows and columns?
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP052388541033.aspx

I actually WANT them to insert rows but I need the formulas to come with it.

I found the answer. But Zorvek came closest.  Thanks for the help!

http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/insrtrow.htm#offset

Here's the code I copied and pasted:

Sub InsertRowsAndFillFormulas_caller()
  '-- this macro shows on Tools, Macro..., Macros (Alt+F8) dialog
  Call InsertRowsAndFillFormulas
End Sub
 
Sub InsertRowsAndFillFormulas(Optional vRows As Long = 0)
' Documented:  http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/insrtrow.htm
' Re: Insert Rows --   1997/09/24 Mark Hill <markhill@charm.net.noSpam>
   ' row selection based on active cell -- rev. 2000-09-02 David McRitchie
   Dim x as long
   ActiveCell.EntireRow.Select  'So you do not have to preselect entire row
   If vRows = 0 Then
    vRows = Application.InputBox(prompt:= _
      "How many rows do you want to add?", Title:="Add Rows", _
      Default:=1, Type:=1) 'Default for 1 row, type 1 is number
    If vRows = False Then Exit Sub
   End If

   'if you just want to add cells and not entire rows
   'then delete ".EntireRow" in the following line

   'rev. 2001-01-17 Gary L. Brown, programming, Grouped sheets
   Dim sht As Worksheet, shts() As String, i As Long
   ReDim shts(1 To Worksheets.Application.ActiveWorkbook. _
       Windows(1).SelectedSheets.Count)
   i = 0
   For Each sht In _
       Application.ActiveWorkbook.Windows(1).SelectedSheets
    Sheets(sht.Name).Select
    i = i + 1
    shts(i) = sht.Name

    x = Sheets(sht.name).UsedRange.Rows.Count 'lastcell fixup

    Selection.Resize(rowsize:=2).Rows(2).EntireRow. _
     Resize(rowsize:=vRows).Insert Shift:=xlDown

    Selection.AutoFill Selection.Resize( _
     rowsize:=vRows + 1), xlFillDefault

    On Error Resume Next    'to handle no constants in range -- John McKee 2000/02/01
    ' to remove the non-formulas -- 1998/03/11 Bill Manville
    Selection.Offset(1).Resize(vRows).EntireRow. _
     SpecialCells(xlConstants).ClearContents
   Next sht
   Worksheets(shts).Select
End Sub