Circular Refs

Find circular-reference loops that ordinary review can miss. Circular Refs scans every formula in the workbook, lists each loop with its full path, and helps you walk, probe, or deliberately break a loop with the restore record kept beside the workbook.

What the scan finds

Circular Refs scans the workbook and lists each circular-reference loop with its full path. It can surface loops even when iterative calculation makes Excel resolve them silently, so the workbook appears to calculate while a feedback loop is still present.

The scan itself is read-only

The scan reads formulas and builds the result list. It does not edit formulas, change values, recalculate the workbook, or write a file.

Reading the results

  • Loop list. Each result shows the path through the cells that feed back into one another.
  • Loop ring. The selected loop appears as a ring diagram so you can see the cycle instead of reading it as a flat address list.
  • Walk controls. Previous and Next move Excel's selection along the loop path one member at a time.
  • Cell jump. Double-click a result to jump to the relevant cell.

How to investigate

Start by walking the loop and asking which member is supposed to be an input, which member is supposed to be an output, and whether the loop is intentional. From there, decide whether you only need a review issue, a convergence probe, or a deliberate break with a restore record.

Probe Convergence

Probe Convergence is not part of the read-only scan. It asks for explicit consent because it really recalculates: all open workbooks recalculate, volatile functions such as RAND, NOW, and TODAY can re-roll, loop cells keep the values they reach during the probe, and the workbook is marked as changed. ModelxcelPro captures Excel's calculation settings before the probe and restores those settings afterwards.

Save first if you need a clean restore point

Probe Convergence cannot be undone with Ctrl+Z. Use it only when you are ready for Excel to recalculate and update values during the measurement.

Break Loop and Restore Broken

Break Loop is a separate, consent-gated action. It previews the chosen loop member, saves the original formula to the workbook's .mxbreaks ledger, then freezes that member to its current value. Restore Broken reads that ledger to restore the original formula later.

Restore Broken is the restore path

Do not treat Break Loop like a normal Excel edit. The restore path is the .mxbreaks ledger and Restore Broken, not Ctrl+Z.

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