Cell Reference: won't auto-calculate, among other things

[Guest]

I'm using Excel 2007 and I'm going absolutely bananas after spending hours
trying to figure out why a simple cell reference won't calculate.

My document has several worksheets. Each of them contains different
information about the same group of individuals. Instead of having to type
each person's name on each worksheet, I'd like to use cell references to
point to the first worksheet.

For example, my first worksheet is called Hire Info. The second one is
called Class Info. Each sheet has a First Name field and a Last Name field. I
created a formula (='Hire Info'!A5, for example) to point the First Name
field on the Class Info worksheet to the same person's first name on the Hire
Info worksheet, but it won't calculate ... unless I put my cursor in the
formula bar and click the Calculate Now (F9) option on the Formulas tab. And
when I do that, it removes the formula completely and replaces it with the
results (i.e. the person's first name).

I've triple-checked that my autocalculate is on. I've triple-checked that
I'm pointing the reference to the right place and that it's written
appropriately.

Finally, if I get this solved, I have one other question. I know how to use
the fill handle to copy a formula from one cell to another so that it adjusts
according to the new cell; how do I copy a formula from one worksheet to
another so that it does the same? I've been doing the copy/paste thing and it
just won't work!

Thanks for ending my madness (if you can!).

Lillian

 

[Niek Otten]

Hi Lilian,

Check this:

http://xldynamic.com/source/xld.xlFAQ0024.html

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten
Microsoft MVP - Excel

| I'm using Excel 2007 and I'm going absolutely bananas after spending hours
| trying to figure out why a simple cell reference won't calculate.
|
| My document has several worksheets. Each of them contains different
| information about the same group of individuals. Instead of having to type
| each person's name on each worksheet, I'd like to use cell references to
| point to the first worksheet.
|
| For example, my first worksheet is called Hire Info. The second one is
| called Class Info. Each sheet has a First Name field and a Last Name field. I
| created a formula (='Hire Info'!A5, for example) to point the First Name
| field on the Class Info worksheet to the same person's first name on the Hire
| Info worksheet, but it won't calculate ... unless I put my cursor in the
| formula bar and click the Calculate Now (F9) option on the Formulas tab. And
| when I do that, it removes the formula completely and replaces it with the
| results (i.e. the person's first name).
|
| I've triple-checked that my autocalculate is on. I've triple-checked that
| I'm pointing the reference to the right place and that it's written
| appropriately.
|
| Finally, if I get this solved, I have one other question. I know how to use
| the fill handle to copy a formula from one cell to another so that it adjusts
| according to the new cell; how do I copy a formula from one worksheet to
| another so that it does the same? I've been doing the copy/paste thing and it
| just won't work!
|
| Thanks for ending my madness (if you can!).
|
| Lillian

 

[Guest]

Thank you! I knew it would be something simple, and it was! The cells were
formatted as text; formatting them as general fixed the problem!

Thanks again,

Lillian