#1   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default what does ## mean?

I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?
  #2   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 897
Default what does ## mean?

The column might not be wide enough. Double-click the border in
between the column headers of your column and the one next to it. The
column should autofit to the widest value.


HTH,
JP

On Apr 2, 10:49*pm, Xipha wrote:
I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?


  #3   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 3,942
Default what does ## mean?

hi.
it means that your column is to narrow. increase the width of your column to
fit the data in the cell.

Regards
FSt1

"Xipha" wrote:

I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?

  #4   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 35,218
Default what does ## mean?

(Saved from a previous post)

It could mean a few things.

1. The columnwidth is too narrow to show the number.

Widen the column or change the font size of that cell. Or change the
numberformat to General.

2. You have a date/time in that cell and it's negative

Don't use negative dates. If excel was helping you, it may have
changed the format to a date. Change it back to General (or some
other number format).

If you need to see negative date/times:
Tools|options|Calculation Tab|and check 1904 date system
(but this can cause trouble--watch what happens to your dates
and watch what happens when you copy|paste dates to a different
workbook that doesn't use this setting)

3. You have a lot of text in the cell, the cell is formatted as Text.

Format the cell as general.

4. You really have ###'s in that cell.

Clean up that cell.

5. You have # in a cell, but it's format is set to Fill.

Change the format
(format|cells|alignment tab|horizontal box, change it to General.

Xipha wrote:

I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?


--

Dave Peterson
  #5   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default what does ## mean?

I already tried making the cell wider and it doesn't work. Does it mean
anything that the two number signs are on eon top of the other?

"Dave Peterson" wrote:

(Saved from a previous post)

It could mean a few things.

1. The columnwidth is too narrow to show the number.

Widen the column or change the font size of that cell. Or change the
numberformat to General.

2. You have a date/time in that cell and it's negative

Don't use negative dates. If excel was helping you, it may have
changed the format to a date. Change it back to General (or some
other number format).

If you need to see negative date/times:
Tools|options|Calculation Tab|and check 1904 date system
(but this can cause trouble--watch what happens to your dates
and watch what happens when you copy|paste dates to a different
workbook that doesn't use this setting)

3. You have a lot of text in the cell, the cell is formatted as Text.

Format the cell as general.

4. You really have ###'s in that cell.

Clean up that cell.

5. You have # in a cell, but it's format is set to Fill.

Change the format
(format|cells|alignment tab|horizontal box, change it to General.

Xipha wrote:

I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?


--

Dave Peterson



  #6   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default what does ## mean?

oh wait I fixed it, turned out the orientation of the text somehow got
switched to vertical. I should have clued in to that sooner lol.

"Dave Peterson" wrote:

(Saved from a previous post)

It could mean a few things.

1. The columnwidth is too narrow to show the number.

Widen the column or change the font size of that cell. Or change the
numberformat to General.

2. You have a date/time in that cell and it's negative

Don't use negative dates. If excel was helping you, it may have
changed the format to a date. Change it back to General (or some
other number format).

If you need to see negative date/times:
Tools|options|Calculation Tab|and check 1904 date system
(but this can cause trouble--watch what happens to your dates
and watch what happens when you copy|paste dates to a different
workbook that doesn't use this setting)

3. You have a lot of text in the cell, the cell is formatted as Text.

Format the cell as general.

4. You really have ###'s in that cell.

Clean up that cell.

5. You have # in a cell, but it's format is set to Fill.

Change the format
(format|cells|alignment tab|horizontal box, change it to General.

Xipha wrote:

I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?


--

Dave Peterson

  #7   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 897
Default what does ## mean?

LOL Dave now you can add one more possibility to your boilerplate!


--JP


On Apr 3, 7:36*am, Dave Peterson wrote:
(Saved from a previous post)

It could mean a few things. *

1. *The columnwidth is too narrow to show the number.

* * Widen the column or change the font size of that cell. *Or change the
* * numberformat to General.

2. *You have a date/time in that cell and it's negative

* * Don't use negative dates. *If excel was helping you, it may have
* * changed the format to a date. *Change it back to General (or some
* * other number format).

* * If you need to see negative date/times:
* * Tools|options|Calculation Tab|and check 1904 date system
* * (but this can cause trouble--watch what happens to your dates
* * and watch what happens when you copy|paste dates to a different
* * workbook that doesn't use this setting)

3. *You have a lot of text in the cell, the cell is formatted as Text.

* * Format the cell as general.

4. *You really have ###'s in that cell.

* * Clean up that cell.

5. *You have # in a cell, but it's format is set to Fill.

* * Change the format
* * (format|cells|alignment tab|horizontal box, change it to General.

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:43 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 ExcelBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Microsoft Excel"