Excel question.
 

Hi Guys, a really strange thing has happened with the formating, I guess, in Excel. When I type in a number such as 45 it appears as .45. If I want it to appear and behave normally as the number 45 I have to type in 45. (or 45.00). I can live with this but I'm afraid I going to make a big mistake with something. Any ideas?

right click, format cells. And, yes, you will probably make big mistakes in Excel no matter how you format. It happens to the best of us. Excel does evil things in your spreadsheets that you do not want. I wish you luck.

You want it formatted as a Number with no decimal places. Formatted as General will work also but may do strange things when used in equations.

Thanks, but if I go Format, Cells, Number, and set it to 0 decimal places the number 45 displays as 0.

Format, Cells, General displays it as .45

Not sure what version of excell you are using.

Go to Preferences, look for Edit, Uncheck or set to 0, "Display this number of decimal places" option.

up to Format
Cells
Number
Box says decimal places
select 2

should be OK then

Nope :)

When I enter in the number 45 it is 0.45 on the spreadsheet.

Application preferences.

It's an application wide setting, not entry based like the Format option.

There is a general setting there.

I was just able to replicate your problem.

It will not change a current entry, only entries that occur after the preference is changed.

In my version of excell it's "Display this number of decimal places".

Mine is an earlier version of Excel and doesn't have an option called application preferences. the strange thing is it used to work well for the fairly simple stuff I do on it.

I just opened an old spreadsheet and it works fine, it's just anything new I do :(

Update: even on the old, OK, Spreadsheet if I enter a new number if does the 45 to 0.45 thing but the previously entered data displays OK.

Go to Tools - Options - General tab and uncheck the Fixed Decimal places box.

Kevin. You are my friend. Thanks, this was driving me balmy LOL. http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat6.gif