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#1
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Excel 2000 insists on typing a formula
I was sent a spreadsheet by a coworker that I want to edit. Specifically, I
want to have two date columns, and a third that calculates the number of days between two dates. On a sheet I created from scratch, everything worked fine (format the dates, the "# of days" column formatted as a number). In this sheet nothing works. Every time I try to type a date, i.e. any number with a slash, it assumes I want to type a formula and adds an = sign and then calculates the date a 1/0/1900. It shows my most recently used formulas in the Name Box, which my other sheet doesn't do until I hit the = key. The problem sheet seems to want to always add the = sign. I also want to convert a lot of dates that were entered as text into formatted dates so I can do the calculation, but I can't get past the fact that the program insists on creating a formula where I don't want one. I've spent hours on the web and Microsoft trying to find an answer ...... Thanks in advance. -- Mr.PC |
#2
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Try Tools|Options|Transition tab
uncheck Transition formula entry (You may want to uncheck all these Lotus 123 options) Mr.PC wrote: I was sent a spreadsheet by a coworker that I want to edit. Specifically, I want to have two date columns, and a third that calculates the number of days between two dates. On a sheet I created from scratch, everything worked fine (format the dates, the "# of days" column formatted as a number). In this sheet nothing works. Every time I try to type a date, i.e. any number with a slash, it assumes I want to type a formula and adds an = sign and then calculates the date a 1/0/1900. It shows my most recently used formulas in the Name Box, which my other sheet doesn't do until I hit the = key. The problem sheet seems to want to always add the = sign. I also want to convert a lot of dates that were entered as text into formatted dates so I can do the calculation, but I can't get past the fact that the program insists on creating a formula where I don't want one. I've spent hours on the web and Microsoft trying to find an answer ...... Thanks in advance. -- Mr.PC -- Dave Peterson |
#3
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Mr. PC,
I think your Excel thinks it's Lotus. Try Tools - Options - Transition tab. Uncheck "Transition formula entry." -- Earl Kiosterud mvpearl omitthisword at verizon period net ------------------------------------------- "Mr.PC" wrote in message ... I was sent a spreadsheet by a coworker that I want to edit. Specifically, I want to have two date columns, and a third that calculates the number of days between two dates. On a sheet I created from scratch, everything worked fine (format the dates, the "# of days" column formatted as a number). In this sheet nothing works. Every time I try to type a date, i.e. any number with a slash, it assumes I want to type a formula and adds an = sign and then calculates the date a 1/0/1900. It shows my most recently used formulas in the Name Box, which my other sheet doesn't do until I hit the = key. The problem sheet seems to want to always add the = sign. I also want to convert a lot of dates that were entered as text into formatted dates so I can do the calculation, but I can't get past the fact that the program insists on creating a formula where I don't want one. I've spent hours on the web and Microsoft trying to find an answer ...... Thanks in advance. -- Mr.PC |
#4
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Thank you both. This worked! So simple. I wish Excel Help or Microsoft's
web site had this solution (or if they do I couldn't find it). Thanks again. "Earl Kiosterud" wrote: Mr. PC, I think your Excel thinks it's Lotus. Try Tools - Options - Transition tab. Uncheck "Transition formula entry." -- Earl Kiosterud mvpearl omitthisword at verizon period net ------------------------------------------- "Mr.PC" wrote in message ... I was sent a spreadsheet by a coworker that I want to edit. Specifically, I want to have two date columns, and a third that calculates the number of days between two dates. On a sheet I created from scratch, everything worked fine (format the dates, the "# of days" column formatted as a number). In this sheet nothing works. Every time I try to type a date, i.e. any number with a slash, it assumes I want to type a formula and adds an = sign and then calculates the date a 1/0/1900. It shows my most recently used formulas in the Name Box, which my other sheet doesn't do until I hit the = key. The problem sheet seems to want to always add the = sign. I also want to convert a lot of dates that were entered as text into formatted dates so I can do the calculation, but I can't get past the fact that the program insists on creating a formula where I don't want one. I've spent hours on the web and Microsoft trying to find an answer ...... Thanks in advance. -- Mr.PC |
#5
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but if you could find it in help or on the web you wouldn't need us and then
what would we do :) -- Cheers JulieD "Mr.PC" wrote in message ... Thank you both. This worked! So simple. I wish Excel Help or Microsoft's web site had this solution (or if they do I couldn't find it). Thanks again. "Earl Kiosterud" wrote: Mr. PC, I think your Excel thinks it's Lotus. Try Tools - Options - Transition tab. Uncheck "Transition formula entry." -- Earl Kiosterud mvpearl omitthisword at verizon period net ------------------------------------------- "Mr.PC" wrote in message ... I was sent a spreadsheet by a coworker that I want to edit. Specifically, I want to have two date columns, and a third that calculates the number of days between two dates. On a sheet I created from scratch, everything worked fine (format the dates, the "# of days" column formatted as a number). In this sheet nothing works. Every time I try to type a date, i.e. any number with a slash, it assumes I want to type a formula and adds an = sign and then calculates the date a 1/0/1900. It shows my most recently used formulas in the Name Box, which my other sheet doesn't do until I hit the = key. The problem sheet seems to want to always add the = sign. I also want to convert a lot of dates that were entered as text into formatted dates so I can do the calculation, but I can't get past the fact that the program insists on creating a formula where I don't want one. I've spent hours on the web and Microsoft trying to find an answer ...... Thanks in advance. -- Mr.PC |
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