Excel 2000 will not Autosum 1

[eliboone]

Hello all,

I have a user who opened an Excel file added a column in the middle of the other data columns. The new column is for item totals. He wants to use autosum to add the two fields in the first two columns and place the total in the new column. When he clicks a field in the new column, clicks Autosum, then highlights the two fields he wants to add the new field displays a 0 instead of showing the sum of the 2 fields.

Sorry if that is confusing,

Thanks, Eli

 

[cookiespin]

does the formula in the cell still say
"=SUM(A1:B1)" (with A1:B1 being the highlighted cells, of course)?

 

[eliboone]

Hi cookiespin,

After hitting enter it puts a zero where the sum should be. It shows the "=SUM(A1:B1)" equation after I highlight the fields I want to add.

Thanks, Eli

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Eli,

I bet the two columns to be added together are formatted as text. If this is the case you can use the "Times 1" fix that has been discussed here on several occasions...
[ul][li]Go to an empty cell and type "1"[/li]
[li]copy that cell[/li]
[li]select the two columns that you want to change to Number Format[/li]
[li]right click and choose "Paste Special"[/li]
[li]tic the box by "Mulitply'[/li]
[li]click ok[/li][/ul]

That should do it!
John

 

[eliboone]

Thanks anotherhiggins.

That worked.

Eli

 

[AnotherHiggins]

Happy to help

 

[KenWright]

Reason it will have happened in the first place is that I'll bet a pound to a penny that the column to the left of where the user inserted the new one was text. Inserting a column will see it take on the characteristics of the column to it's left, or if a row, then the row above. As long as the formatting is fixed prior to any data entry then no problem, but if data has been entered then the solution from anotherhiggins will fix it.

Regards
Ken..................

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