Thank you for your efforts. I am beyond tinkering at this point. I am using MS Excel 2010. I have 3 columns with drop down list in each column. If there is a change in any of the cells where the engineer changed grapes to oranges, the cell turns yellow. I am copying those 3 columns over to the right. For this example, I am only using one of the three columns. I highlight the column, click on conditional formating, then selecting "New Rule", then selecting "Use a Formula". This is where I can put =$Q$2:$Q$7 <> $AB$2:$AB$7. As I select the Column and Cells, excel adds the dollars signs.
I then select the formatting and the color. This should be easy, I agree.
I then go to my Column Q line 2 and make a change and nothing happens.

Maybe there's an alternate way to do what I am doing? Honestly I've tinkered for hours trying to get this to work.
Thank you again for all your help.
Laurie B.