Oh, and to answer your question. Format, cells, custom shows this:

$#,##0.00 );($#,##0.00)

"David McRitchie" wrote:

Hi Adrienne,
Conditional Formatting has nothing to do with number formatting,
don't think Bernie read the entire question -- I think the example might
come with some Conditional Formatting for color banding, but is
devoid of the important number formatting.

If you use Format, cells, custom
what do you see for the format of the active cell.

I don't think the checkbook example has formatting, formulas,
and if that is the case it certainly is not of much use as an example.

You might find the following of interest after you figure out what the
problem is with the formats.
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/insrtrow.htm
It is an example of a checkbook.

You might check your data, first of all if the numbers are left justified
that is a pretty sure indication that they are not numbers.
=ISTEXT(C4) or the opposite =ISNUMBER(C4)

After you change a format between text and number in either direction,
you must reenter it see it this works. Its not a matter of what you say
the format is, it's a matter of what Excel was using when the data was
originally entered before changing a format.
F2 then Enter
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/join.htm#trimall and
read about how to find out what you actually have.

To see formulas and formats assigned to another cell see
GetFormula and GetFormat macros in
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/formula.htm

---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"Bernie Deitrick" <deitbe @ consumer dot org wrote in message ...
Adrienne,

Try removing and Conditional Formatting that may have been applied.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP


"Adrienne" wrote in message
...
I downloaded the checkbook register from Microsoft.com and am trying to add
a
few cells at the end to quickly calculate my outstanding debits and
credits
so that I can balance my statements automatically. I figured out how to
write
the formula properly (eventually), but the cells will not take on the
currency format no matter what I do. I have tried pasting the format from
the
other cells within the register, tried clearing the format and reapplying
the
currency format, tried accounting, etc.