My Excel 2003 spreadsheet is automatically inserting dates into calculation fields.?

Question

I have a SUM function for a line in my spreadsheet that is just supposed to add up the values in the row. I have 15 or so rows with the same function (just different row numbers for the row I want to add). But now whenever I try to insert the SUM function it keeps giving me a date instead of the sum of the numbers. The weirdest part is that if I go down to the next row below, the functions seem to work fine. I have tried deleting and reinserting the rows and that doesn't help.

Answer 1

right click on the cell, go to format cell. select number, currency or accounting depending on what you need.

Answer 2

Start new workbook. On sheet 2 enter your values in contiguous cells, in one column. Highlight all the cells you have just entered values into. Use the Insert | Name | Define Menu/Options or the 'name box' to the left of you function bar and type in a name for list of values you have just typed in. E.g. "Mylist" Now go to Sheet 1. If you cannot see the Visual Basic Menu, right click on the tool bar or use the Insert, Toolbars and in each case select Visual Basic. Now on this tool bar click Design mode, and Toolbox. Find the Combo Box Tool, in the tool box and click on it. 'Draw' the combo box onto the sheet where you want it. Now, again in the toolbox, with the Combo Box still selected, find and click the Properties box. In the properties window, find the ListFillRange property (this appears in the left hand column) In the corresponding right-hand column, type in the name of the name of your list - "Mylist" and click enter. Now unclick Design mode, and Toolbox and also close the property box by clicking on the 'x' - close window button. Now click on the Visual Basic Editor buton on the Visual Basic oolbar. In the Project Window, double click on Sheet 1 In the left hand dropdown of the window just opened, select Combobox1. Complete the code so it looks like the following: Private Sub ComboBox1_Change() Range("A1").Cells.Value = ComboBox1.Text End Sub This will put the selected value into Cell A1. Excel is very powerful, and there are many options, properties and you must be careful when doing the things I have described. I am using Excel 2003, and I know the 'tools' and other items improve slightly as time goes by and new versions are released. To do this properly, I would get a book on VBA with a focus on VBA for Excel. Anyway, hope this helps.

Answer 3

More likely those cells are formatted for dates. Try this;



1. Select the cell(s) you need to fix.

2. Right-click in one and select Format Cells.

3. Select General. (I suspect they're currently set to Date).

4. Click OK.



Hope that helps.

Answer 4

Check the formatting of the cell that is causing you trouble. I bet that it is formatted as Date instead of General or Number. Format the cell the same as the cells that work and you should be ok.