#VALUE error when summing rows containing blank cells

[Guest]

I'm pretty new to Excel, but I thought (and it's beeen my experience) that it ignored blank cells when doing a simple SUM. I inherited a spreadsheet that sums rows and columns. Each month the data change. When I got it many cells were blank, so it was a nice, clean sheet. Now if I change a cell from having data to one that's blank I have to insert a zero or I get the #VALUE error message. My nice, clean worksheet is starting to look messy. What am I missing here? Please help the newbie. Thanks

 

[Guest]

John,
How do you change a cell from having data to one thats blank?

Regards,
Mark Graesser
(e-mail address removed)

----- John Iverson wrote: -----

I'm pretty new to Excel, but I thought (and it's beeen my experience) that it ignored blank cells when doing a simple SUM. I inherited a spreadsheet that sums rows and columns. Each month the data change. When I got it many cells were blank, so it was a nice, clean sheet. Now if I change a cell from having data to one that's blank I have to insert a zero or I get the #VALUE error message. My nice, clean worksheet is starting to look messy. What am I missing here? Please help the newbie. Thanks

 

[Guest]

Hitting the spacebar; I just found that "clear contents" preserves the formula. Thanks!