Enter 1 anywhere in your worksheet.
Copy the cell with 1.
Select the range with your 'numbers'
Right click and choose Paste Special (or from Edit menu)
Click on MULTIPLY and Click OK

Voila...

If this does not work then first try the TRIM formula and then try the above
with the result...

"sorrywm" wrote:

I copied some data into an Excel (2004) spreadsheet from the web, and now I
can't operate on the cells, despite the fact that their format is 'Number.'
I've tried re-copying the cells and paste-special-ing 'Value,' but to no
avail. Does anyone know how to make Excel recognize these perfectly good
numbers?