Large digit numbers

[Guest]

I have a large number to put in a sheet. The number is 8046900014191209 and I
have the cell formated to a number. After I put it in, the number becomes
8046900014191200, changing the last number from a 9 to a 0. How do I get it
to keep the 9 and not change it to a 0?

 

[Guest]

Precede the number with a single quote (apostrophe)

 

[Dave Peterson]

Excel keeps track of up to 15 significant digits.

Can you treat your data as text (no arithmetic to be done using those
"numbers")?

If yes, then you can pre-format the cell as text, then enter the string.

Or start your data entry with an apostrophe: '8046900014191209

 

[Guest]

XL is limited to 15 digits (it is more of a limit of your computer but
whatever). If you need to have the 16th digit then you will probably want to
format the cell as text. That means that you can't do any math on the number
but that is the way it goes...

I have seen code used to handle numbers of that size and if you search the
programming group you can probably find it.