Hi,

I have a column that is dedicated to mac addresses. Some
are letters and numbers and some are just numbers (16
chars). I want the cell to leave the input values as they
are and not format them in any way. Here's the problem I have.

I know why it is doing this, but I want to show the numbers
exactly as I input them.

When I type 16 chars of numbers only, the look changes to this:

1.24865E+15

from this:

1248651497265430

i don't want to have to format every cell that has a
numbers only because i never know which cell that will be.
I just want it to be general across the board but it
changes it for number values.

Is there any way of setting excel to leave the input values
as they are and not reformat them?

Thanks.

Excel has only 15 digit precision, precede the entry with an apostrophe to
make it text


Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

"Angelo" wrote:

Hi,

I have a column that is dedicated to mac addresses. Some
are letters and numbers and some are just numbers (16
chars). I want the cell to leave the input values as they
are and not format them in any way. Here's the problem I have.

I know why it is doing this, but I want to show the numbers
exactly as I input them.

When I type 16 chars of numbers only, the look changes to this:

1.24865E+15

from this:

1248651497265430

i don't want to have to format every cell that has a
numbers only because i never know which cell that will be.
I just want it to be general across the board but it
changes it for number values.

Is there any way of setting excel to leave the input values
as they are and not reformat them?

Thanks.

Thanks for the rely. It actually reformats the cell on 12
digits as well (not 11 and below).

Also, it changes the last number to a zero if I format the
cell as 'number'.

e.g.

1000000000000012 will change to 1000000000000010 with a
formatted number. I suppose this makes perfect sense since
the number is so great but I don't want it to reformat the
way it looks. I'd rather have all those digits.

Very odd...

-----Original Message-----
Excel has only 15 digit precision, precede the entry with
an apostrophe to
make it text


Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

"Angelo" wrote:

Hi,

I have a column that is dedicated to mac addresses. Some
are letters and numbers and some are just numbers (16
chars). I want the cell to leave the input values as they
are and not format them in any way. Here's the problem I
have.

I know why it is doing this, but I want to show the numbers
exactly as I input them.

When I type 16 chars of numbers only, the look changes
to this:

1.24865E+15

from this:

1248651497265430

i don't want to have to format every cell that has a
numbers only because i never know which cell that will be.
I just want it to be general across the board but it
changes it for number values.

Is there any way of setting excel to leave the input values
as they are and not reformat them?

Thanks.


.

Have you tried typing the apostrophe before entering your digits as the
first responder suggested?

Excel cannot handle all the digits in a 16-digit number as Excel only
has 15-digit accuracy. Excel can indeed handle large numbers but the
accuracy in the final digits will suffer, as you have seen.

You need to leave the entry as text, not convert it to a number. If you
really need to calculate with all 16 digits of your numbers you will
need some other application.

Bill

wrote in message
...
Thanks for the rely. It actually reformats the cell on 12
digits as well (not 11 and below).

Also, it changes the last number to a zero if I format the
cell as 'number'.

e.g.

1000000000000012 will change to 1000000000000010 with a
formatted number. I suppose this makes perfect sense since
the number is so great but I don't want it to reformat the
way it looks. I'd rather have all those digits.

Very odd...

-----Original Message-----
Excel has only 15 digit precision, precede the entry with
an apostrophe to
make it text


Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

"Angelo" wrote:

Hi,

I have a column that is dedicated to mac addresses. Some
are letters and numbers and some are just numbers (16
chars). I want the cell to leave the input values as they
are and not format them in any way. Here's the problem I
have.

I know why it is doing this, but I want to show the numbers
exactly as I input them.

When I type 16 chars of numbers only, the look changes
to this:

1.24865E+15

from this:

1248651497265430

i don't want to have to format every cell that has a
numbers only because i never know which cell that will be.
I just want it to be general across the board but it
changes it for number values.

Is there any way of setting excel to leave the input values
as they are and not reformat them?

Thanks.


.

1000000000000012

is 16 digits. One more than excel can keep track of.

Either start with an apostrophe:
'1000000000000012

or preformat the cell as Text and then type your data.



wrote:

Thanks for the rely. It actually reformats the cell on 12
digits as well (not 11 and below).

Also, it changes the last number to a zero if I format the
cell as 'number'.

e.g.

1000000000000012 will change to 1000000000000010 with a
formatted number. I suppose this makes perfect sense since
the number is so great but I don't want it to reformat the
way it looks. I'd rather have all those digits.

Very odd...

-----Original Message-----
Excel has only 15 digit precision, precede the entry with
an apostrophe to
make it text


Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

"Angelo" wrote:

Hi,

I have a column that is dedicated to mac addresses. Some
are letters and numbers and some are just numbers (16
chars). I want the cell to leave the input values as they
are and not format them in any way. Here's the problem I
have.

I know why it is doing this, but I want to show the numbers
exactly as I input them.

When I type 16 chars of numbers only, the look changes
to this:

1.24865E+15

from this:

1248651497265430

i don't want to have to format every cell that has a
numbers only because i never know which cell that will be.
I just want it to be general across the board but it
changes it for number values.

Is there any way of setting excel to leave the input values
as they are and not reformat them?

Thanks.


.


--

Dave Peterson