Why do I get ######

[Guest]

I do the formula =SUM(E9:E24) and I get ##### in my cell. I put the curser
on it and it shows the number in a balloon but not in the cell and it messes
my final totals. Why does it happen, and how do I fix it?

 

[Roger Govier]

Hi

Try widening the column. The number should then show up fine.

 

[Ray]

It's because the cell is not wide enough to show the whole number.
Widen the column by clicking on the line to the right of the column letter,
then drag the column to the required width.
Alternatively highlight the whole column by right clicking on the letter
then select column width and increase the size.

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

I do the formula =SUM(E9:E24) and I get ##### in my cell. I put the curser
on it and it shows the number in a balloon but not in the cell and it messes
my final totals. Why does it happen, and how do I fix it?

1. Column too narrow.
2. Cell formatted as time + negative result + using 1900 date system
--ron

 

[Bernard Liengme]

Or double click the line to the right of the cell header to have Excel
automatically widen the column to the right size
best wishes

 

[Dave Peterson]

It could mean a few things.

1. The columnwidth is too narrow to show the number.

Widen the column or change the font size of that cell. Or change the
numberformat to General.

2. You have a date/time in that cell and it's negative

Don't use negative dates. If excel was helping you, it may have
changed the format to a date. Change it back to General (or some
other number format).

If you need to see negative date/times:
Tools|options|Calculation Tab|and check 1904 date system
(but this can cause trouble--watch what happens to your dates
and watch what happens when you copy|paste dates to a different
workbook that doesn't use this setting)

3. You have a lot of text in the cell, the cell is formatted as Text.

Format the cell as general.

4. You really have ###'s in that cell.

Clean up that cell.

5. You have # in a cell, but it's format is set to Fill.

Change the format
(format|cells|alignment tab|horizontal box, change it to General.