unable to format text field

[Guest]

I inherited an Excel spreadsheet with account numbers formated as values. I
needed the account numbers formated as text. I attempted several ways,
unsuccessfully, to reformat the account numbers. Tried using format columns,
copy and paste special. The only thing that worked was to manually insert a
text --- ' ---- into 150 records. Why didn't this column recognize format.
Any other suggestions?

 

[lsu-i-like]

could it be under the data menu, submenu validation

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

I inherited an Excel spreadsheet with account numbers formated as values. I
needed the account numbers formated as text. I attempted several ways,
unsuccessfully, to reformat the account numbers. Tried using format columns,
copy and paste special. The only thing that worked was to manually insert a
text --- ' ---- into 150 records. Why didn't this column recognize format.
Any other suggestions?

How do you want these values to appear?


--ron

 

[Jack_1812]

Try creating a new column to convert your account numbers to text by
using the =Text() formula. You can then copy the result as a value
back into the original column.