I am adding the below numbers in Column B and the last number (20) show the
total I am getting???? I checked to see what cells were being added it shows
me I B4:b17 and I then change it to B2:b17 (because it does not add these 2
cells in even if I highlight them) I don't understand why this won't work (
format cells as numbers or general
9
9
11
9
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9
9
9
9
9
9
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total 20

Your numbers are not actually numbers, but text. to solve your problem,
select any empty cell in your sheet. Press <Ctrl<C. Now select B2:B17,
select Edit|Paste Special, tick Add and click OK


"brian" wrote:

I am adding the below numbers in Column B and the last number (20) show the
total I am getting???? I checked to see what cells were being added it shows
me I B4:b17 and I then change it to B2:b17 (because it does not add these 2
cells in even if I highlight them) I don't understand why this won't work (
format cells as numbers or general
9
9
11
9
9
10
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
7
8
total 20

I tried this but did not work still comes up with 20

"kassie" wrote:

Your numbers are not actually numbers, but text. to solve your problem,
select any empty cell in your sheet. Press <Ctrl<C. Now select B2:B17,
select Edit|Paste Special, tick Add and click OK


"brian" wrote:

I am adding the below numbers in Column B and the last number (20) show the
total I am getting???? I checked to see what cells were being added it shows
me I B4:b17 and I then change it to B2:b17 (because it does not add these 2
cells in even if I highlight them) I don't understand why this won't work (
format cells as numbers or general
9
9
11
9
9
10
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
7
8
total 20

I beleive there are spaces behind most of your numbers that are turning them
into text.

"brian" wrote:

I am adding the below numbers in Column B and the last number (20) show the
total I am getting???? I checked to see what cells were being added it shows
me I B4:b17 and I then change it to B2:b17 (because it does not add these 2
cells in even if I highlight them) I don't understand why this won't work (
format cells as numbers or general
9
9
11
9
9
10
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
7
8
total 20

brian,

Try selecting the numbers to be added and use
Copy
Paste Special and choose the [Values] option and just paste right back.

A couple of quick hints that can tell you if/where you have numbers
displayed as text is to just look:
if numbers are at the left edge of the cells, they are very likely numbers
being displayed as text. Normally numbers align to the right edge of a cell,
text aligns to the left edge.
Another way is to click the column identifier, selecting the whole column
and then use the increase decimal icon and increase decimals displayed by one
or two - numbers will change displayed decimals, text entries will not.

The Copy and then Paste Special with [Add] chosen should have fixed it. One
way to check things further would be to set up formula like
=VALUE(A1) in B1 and drag it down and then put the Sum() below that and
compare results. After doing that, you could also copy the values in column
B and then Paste Special choosing [Values] back into column A.

"Abode" wrote:

I beleive there are spaces behind most of your numbers that are turning them
into text.

"brian" wrote:

I am adding the below numbers in Column B and the last number (20) show the
total I am getting???? I checked to see what cells were being added it shows
me I B4:b17 and I then change it to B2:b17 (because it does not add these 2
cells in even if I highlight them) I don't understand why this won't work (
format cells as numbers or general
9
9
11
9
9
10
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
7
8
total 20

May be you have hit a "circular reference" loop?

First , find out which cell the "total 20" is in.
Make sure it is not in anywhere between B2 and B17. If it is, the SUM()
function does not work. Change =SUM(B2:B17) to =SUM(B2:B16) or whatever to
make sure it does not try to sum the cell at which the TOTAL is suppose to be.



"brian" wrote:

I am adding the below numbers in Column B and the last number (20) show the
total I am getting???? I checked to see what cells were being added it shows
me I B4:b17 and I then change it to B2:b17 (because it does not add these 2
cells in even if I highlight them) I don't understand why this won't work (
format cells as numbers or general
9
9
11
9
9
10
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
7
8
total 20