By default Excel automatically calculates when you press [Return]. You
can change the default from Automatic to Manual by clicking menu option
Tools Options Calculation and selecting Manual. When this is
selected your sheet will re-calculate only when you save or when you
press F9. The trick is to keep in mind that your numbers will not
update until you instruct Excel to do so.

Other notes: if you have other sprdshts open and set one of them to
manual, all will change to manual. If you change a sprdsht to manual
and send it to someone, all of *their* open sheets will change to
manual as well.


Dan wrote:
I have just been upgraded from Windows 2000 to XP. I have
Excel 2002. I have a file that is 18,000 KB.
Since the upgrade Excel takes up to ten seconds to
calculate everytime I enter in a cell or change a
formula.
I did not have this problem before the upgrade.
Any idea what I can do about it?
I would rather not set the calculation to manual, as it
may cause more problems while I am designing my
spreadsheets.