It sounds like either:
1) You have the cell formatted as Text
To fix: <format<cells<number tab....Category: (pick appropriate)

or (less likely)...
2) You have Formula Display turned on.
To fix: <tools<options<view....UNcheck: Formulas

Does that help?
--------------------------

Regards,

Ron (XL2003, Win XP)
Microsoft MVP (Excel)


"ajimmo" wrote in message
...
All: I have been using Excel 2003 for years and indeed just completed a
spreadsheet with lots of totals. In the current(and different)
spreadsheet,
when I use the SUM symbol, the results in the cell are only the formula.
Normally, after that I click the "check" symbol to complete the process
which
now still leaves only the formula.
Please and thanks for any advice and counsel.
--
Thanks, Ajimmo