EXCEL COLOR items unresponsive, Colors Preview not Printout

I should much appreciate your help on this strange new problem.

It occurs on both HP desktop XP SP3 & Dell Vista Ultimate SP2. Am on IE8; Ctrl Panel list also shows !E7.

I am unable to use either COLOR icons -- for text or for cells. No trouble heretofore which makes it so frustrating.
Ordinarily, following usual usage, all is well. For unknown reasons, now neither has any effect on printout.
Explored for cause/cure without finding anything more than instructions already well known.
Did see note saying High Contrast might make colors ineffective, so searched out that. Found how to turn on/off, and easily turned off High Contrast. Made no difference.

So out of ideas at this juncture. What am I doing wrong or failing to do?

I have read other threads on this subject without finding solutions. First, they all have to do with Excel 2003 not Excel 2007 I am using.
Most important, they refer to absence of color. My problem has an added and different problem: CLICKING EITHER COLOR ITEM, for the cells or for the text, THERE IS NO RESPONSE. The designated cell(s) remain just as they were without any change. PRIMARY NEED IS TO MAKE RESPONSIVE.

 

Most anxious to receive your help. The website referenced came up "Not Found", although accompanied by a slew of similar titles. Checked a few, but none useful.
Don't know if it hurts-or-helps, but both Color icons now work normally on this desktop.
Same program on laptop remains totally unresponsive.
Cordially,

 

So, you must have done something that solved the problem on the desktop. What was it?

 

Greetings usafveteran from usa/infveteran!
Sad fact is I did nothing. Most likely simple confusion (stupidity) on my part.

What happens on desktop is a printer network problem whereby colors entered do not appear on printout. (As noted, B&W only UNchecked, etc).

This is not primary concern. That is the Excel worksheet function unresponsiveness of the color icons.

Cordially,

 

Thank you plodr, but same results as earlier reported. However there are new items which apparently do not affect the Excel worksheet function COLOR items failure to respond.
1. Desktop XP SP3 Color items work normally. Do not believe this is a change since original posting; more likely my confusion and/or stupidity. Also noted the Excel2007 version is Standard.
2. Laptop Vista Ultimate SP2 Color items remain unresponsive. Noted the Excel2007 version is Professional Plus.
3. On OFFICE2007 programs on each computer I ran REPAIR. No observable changes appeared and certainly not for laptop Color lack of response.
4. At various ribbons and at various cells, I searched for all references to Colors, and found many in the various subheadings (for ex., Sort). Nothing changed Color icons use.
5. I went to laptop Sheet 2 to see if Color icons functioned. They did not.

I despair of finding cause/cure of this malfunction despite efforts at this and other forums including the one at EXCEL as well as at MSN. Hopefully you'll still find an answer!