sometimes when you refer to a cell that is formatted as text, your formula
behaves this way.

Try formatting the new column as General and the original column as general.

If you do that and it doesn't work, then select the new column that contains
all your formulas (that are not working) and do

Edit=Replace
What: =
With: =

this will replace the equal signs with equal signs and excel should
reevaluate the formula and return the left 6 digits.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy


"charles" wrote in message
m...
I have an excel file generated by Quick Books. One column has 6 text
digits
which is followed by a bunch of other characters. I want to work with the
first 6 character so I use the following procedure.
1 Add a Column after the column in question.
2. I title that column
3. Then I add a formula =LEFT(e2,6)

Problem the formulas doesn't copy the first 6 character but the cell had
the
text =LEFT(e,6)

Now I go to the right most blank column and type in the formula =
LEFT($E2,6) That give me the left 6 most characters. If I copy and past
that cell into the cell that I tried it in the first place now I get the 6
left most characters. The copied formula acts like a formula instead of a
typed text.

Does anyone know why?

charles