KB13285: When refreshing certain reports in MicroStrategy Office, the error ‘Internal Error: Too Many Different Cell Formats’ occurs

SYMPTOM:
When some reports are refreshed in Strategy Office 8.1.x, the following error occurs:
 

 
Internal error: OfficeAdaptors.AdapterDisplay.DisplayExcel.MergeColumnHeaders() - Too many different cell formats.
When formatting is turned off, the reports refresh correctly.
 
CAUSE:
The Microsoft Knowledge Base has an article on this error, as it is a known Excel limitation. Refer to the following article for more information:
 
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;%5BLN%5D;213904
 
This issue occurs when the workbook contains more than approximately 4,000 different combinations of cell formats. A combination is defined as a unique set of formatting elements that are applied to a cell. A combination includes all font formatting (for example: typeface, font size, italic, bold, and underline), borders (for example: location, weight, and color), cell patterns, number formatting, alignment, and cell protection.
 
ACTION:
Reduce the amount of formatting in the workbook to get below the 4,000 combination limitation. There are many different possibilities to reduce the formatting combinations, but the Microsoft article referenced above specifically suggests the following:
 

1. Use a standard font. Using the same font for all cells reduces the number of formatting combinations.
2. If you use borders in a worksheet, use them consistently.
    
   NOTE: If you apply a border to the right side of a cell, it is not necessary to apply a border to the left side of the cell that is to the right because the borders overlap.
    
   
3. If you apply patterns to the cells, remove the patterns by clicking No Color in the Patterns tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

WORKAROUND:
The error can be avoided if the 'Use styles for formatting' option under Grid is unselected however this might have an impact on the grid display performance.