I don't know of a shortcut to format cells as text.

There are keyboard shortcuts to format as Date, Time, Number, Percentage,
General, Currency.......but not Text.

Were those cells used for something else before you started entering formulas?

The text format may be left over from earlier data input.


Gord

On Thu, 12 Oct 2006 13:59:02 -0700, DS wrote:

Dear Gord Debben:
I will try your suggestion when I encounter the issue again. (I am unable
to recreated issue it at this time.)

Unanswered Question: Do you know why the format is changing at mid stream?
Am I hitting short cut key by mistake? (Other staff members here have the
same problem - random occurance.)

Thank you,
DS

"Gord Dibben" wrote:

DS

The cells showing the formulas and not the results were most likely
pre-formatted as text.

Format to General then F2 then ENTER to re-enter the formulas.

If a great bunch of these to be done use EditReplace

what: =

with: =

Replace all.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Thu, 12 Oct 2006 12:40:02 -0700, DS wrote:

Cell format issue:
There are times when I run into an issue where
I am typing in formulas and somewhere along the way the format changes.

Example:
Cell B2 has data/number “30”
Cell B3 has data/number “50”
Cell B4 has data/number “60”
Cell B5 has data/number “70”
Cell B6 has data/number “80”
Cell C2 has a formula “=B2”
Cell C3 has a formula “=B3”
Cell C4 has a formula “=B4”
Cell C5 has a formula “=B5”
Cell C6 has a formula “=B6”

Results:
Cell C2 shows a result of “30”
Cell C3 shows a result of “50”
Cell C4 shows a result of “60”
Cell C5 shows a result of “=B5”
Cell C6 shows a result of “=B6”

My first question is “What key board stroke am I doing to cause this
unwanted result?” (I must be bumping some key(s) to cause this issue because
every cell updated after the issue starts repeats the same format issue.)

My second question is, “How do I change the cell to return numbers?”
1. I have tried Format Cells, select Numbers, 2 decimal places and the okay
button. Side Note: Despite selecting numbers in the catalog box... the Sample
box always shows the formula rather than the desired number. Why did the
format not change to numbers?)

2. I have also tried Tools/Options/ and under the window box verified the
formula box does NOT have a check mark.
(By the way I noticed that if I have selected cells without the format issue
and check off the formula box the return is the formula with a LEFT
alignment. Thus the cell cells are formatted as numbers where as the cells
with the format issue still is text. Why?

3. The only thing that seems to work is that I go to another file and copy
a cell that correctly returns numbers (The cell has to be one with a formula
created prior to when issue starts) and paste it in cells that returns
formula (with right alignment).
This is not a good solution at times and I have had to contact IT who can
not explain how to correct the issue so they reinstalling excel prior to when
the issue arises.