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#1
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What causes = not to work?
On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet
refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#2
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What causes = not to work?
Try checking your automatic calculation settings. ToolsOptionsCalculation.
Make sure Automatic is selected. Or use F9 to calculate if you want it on manual. Rhos "Amy" wrote: On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#3
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What causes = not to work?
See if Tools/Options/General(tab)/Automatic(option button) is selected.
-- Rick (MVP - Excel) "Amy" wrote in message ... On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#4
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What causes = not to work?
This happens when the cell is formatted as TEXT... change it to GENERAL.
Press CTRL-1 to bring up the FORMAT CELLS dialog "Amy" wrote: On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#5
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What causes = not to work?
Amy,
two thoughts:- is calculation set to manual? Tools|Options - Calculation tab and select auto. Are these cells formatted as text when you enter a formula? Ensure they are formatted as 'general' Mike "Amy" wrote: On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#6
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What causes = not to work?
Where I wrote "General(tab)", it should have been "Calculation(tab)".
-- Rick (MVP - Excel) "Rick Rothstein" wrote in message ... See if Tools/Options/General(tab)/Automatic(option button) is selected. -- Rick (MVP - Excel) "Amy" wrote in message ... On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#7
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What causes = not to work?
"Amy" wrote:
On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? If this happens in all cells with formulas, click Tools Options View and be sure that Formulas is unchecked. More likely, the individual cells that show the formula were explicitly formatted as Text when you entered the formula. Select those cells, click Format Cells Number and select General or any other format that you want. Then press F2 and Enter (or ctrl-shift-Enter for array formulas). I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. Click Tools Options Calculation and click Automatic. You probably have Manual set. Caveat emptor: Manual calculation might be set for good reason, notably to avoid recalculation of cells with random expression (RAND or RANDBETWEEN). If that's the case, you might want to retain Manual calculation mode and simply press F9 every time you want to cause recalculation (sigh). ----- original message ----- "Amy" wrote in message ... On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#8
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What causes = not to work?
Okay. the calculation being set to manual seems to the problem.
But when I change it to automatic, it reverts to manual the next time I open Excel! Is there somewhere else that I can change this default setting? Thanks to all! Amy "Mike H" wrote: Amy, two thoughts:- is calculation set to manual? Tools|Options - Calculation tab and select auto. Are these cells formatted as text when you enter a formula? Ensure they are formatted as 'general' Mike "Amy" wrote: On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
#10
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What causes = not to work?
If I'm opening an existing document, that's true. When I just open Excel, new
doc, it is defaulted to manual calc mode. I do this a lot because I'm pasting data from other programs and then running a macro to create a report. How can I set it, so that when I open Excel, it opens in automatic calc mode?? Thanks! "Don Guillett" wrote: Calculation is set by the method specified in the FIRST file to open -- Don Guillett Microsoft MVP Excel SalesAid Software "Rhos" wrote in message ... Okay. the calculation being set to manual seems to the problem. But when I change it to automatic, it reverts to manual the next time I open Excel! Is there somewhere else that I can change this default setting? Thanks to all! Amy "Mike H" wrote: Amy, two thoughts:- is calculation set to manual? Tools|Options - Calculation tab and select auto. Are these cells formatted as text when you enter a formula? Ensure they are formatted as 'general' Mike "Amy" wrote: On several occasions lately I've had the misfortune of my spreadsheet refusing to treat a formula as a formula. Instead it shows me the formula. i.e. "=A2+A4" instead of "16". What causes this??? How do I avoid it? Also, when the formula does work, I'm having an issue when I drag the formula to other cells that it doesn't process unless I manually go into that cell and hit enter. The formula reads correctly, but the result is the same that was in the first cell until I click in the cell and hit enter. (This is not a relative/absolute reference issue) If these ring a bell to anyone...please help!! |
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