What causes = not to work?

[Amy]

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!!

 

[Rhos]

Try checking your automatic calculation settings. Tools>Options>Calculation.
Make sure Automatic is selected.

Or use F9 to calculate if you want it on manual.

Rhos

 

[Rhos]

Try checking your automatic calculation settings. Tools>Options>Calculation.
Make sure Automatic is selected.

Or use F9 to calculate if you want it on manual.

Rhos

 

[Rick Rothstein]

See if Tools/Options/General(tab)/Automatic(option button) is selected.

 

[Rick Rothstein]

See if Tools/Options/General(tab)/Automatic(option button) is selected.

 

[Sheeloo]

This happens when the cell is formatted as TEXT... change it to GENERAL.

Press CTRL-1 to bring up the FORMAT CELLS dialog

 

[Sheeloo]

This happens when the cell is formatted as TEXT... change it to GENERAL.

Press CTRL-1 to bring up the FORMAT CELLS dialog

 

[Mike H]

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

 

[Mike H]

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

 

[Rick Rothstein]

Where I wrote "General(tab)", it should have been "Calculation(tab)".

 

[Rick Rothstein]

Where I wrote "General(tab)", it should have been "Calculation(tab)".

 

[JoeU2004]

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 -----

 

[JoeU2004]

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 -----

 

[Rhos]

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

 

[Rhos]

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

 

[Don Guillett]

Calculation is set by the method specified in the FIRST file to open

 

[Don Guillett]

Calculation is set by the method specified in the FIRST file to open

 

[Amy]

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!

 

[Amy]

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]

Calculation is set by the method specified in the FIRST file to open
If you have book.xlt and it is set to automatic then open it first. I have
my excel open to a Menu.xls which does have automatic set by the properties
in a desktop button.

C:\myfolder\MENU.xls