How to Fix: Find and Replace ':' colon gives "That function isn't valid" error on Replace All

The 'That function isn't valid' error occurs when you try to use Find and Replace in Excel 2013 by entering a colon into the 'Find what' field and any text into the 'Replace with' field. This issue affects users who are trying to perform this action and may be frustrating for those who need to use it frequently.

The error is likely caused by the fact that the colon (:) is being interpreted as a special character rather than part of the search pattern. This can happen when the 'Find what' field starts with an @ symbol, which may be causing Excel to misinterpret the colon.

⚠️ Common Causes

• The primary cause of this error is that the colon (:) is being treated as a special character by Excel. When you enter a colon into the 'Find what' field and any text into the 'Replace with' field, Excel interprets the colon as a delimiter rather than part of the search pattern.
• Another possible cause is that the '@' symbol in the 'Find what' field is causing Excel to misinterpret the colon. When Excel sees the '@' symbol, it may be treating the text after it as a special character, resulting in the error.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

💡 Conclusion

To resolve this issue, try using one of the methods outlined above. Pressing the F3 key while typing in the 'Find what' field can help you enter special characters like the colon (:) without issues. Alternatively, you can use escapes to insert special characters into your search pattern. If you continue to experience issues, it may be worth checking if there are any other special characters or formatting issues with your text that could be causing the problem.