(Very) Simple Formula Doesn't Work

E

Erehwon

Running Excel 2003 on WinXP, both with all current upgrades installed.
Recently noticed an odd problem with one of the spreadsheets I've been using
for some time. I suddenly find that if I try entering a simple formula of
the form "+x/y.n", "+1/3.1" for example, I get a message indicating the
"formula contains an error". If I edit out the ".1" or the "3", "+1/3" and
"+1/.1" work fine. If I put parenthesis around 3.1 or "+1/(3.1)" it works
fine. If I use "=1/3.1" it works. Just can't use "+" in a formula where
the denominator contains a fractional number. I'm know I've entered similar
formulas in the past that worked and entering the same "+1/3.1" or similar
in other spreadsheets works as expected. It's just this one spreadsheet
that gives the error. I'm guessing there may be some setting in this
particular spreadsheet that's causing the problem but I can't imagine what.
Any suggestions?
 
R

Rick Merrill

Erehwon said:
Running Excel 2003 on WinXP, both with all current upgrades installed.
Recently noticed an odd problem with one of the spreadsheets I've been using
for some time. I suddenly find that if I try entering a simple formula of
the form "+x/y.n", "+1/3.1" for example, I get a message indicating the
"formula contains an error". If I edit out the ".1" or the "3", "+1/3" and
"+1/.1" work fine. If I put parenthesis around 3.1 or "+1/(3.1)" it works
fine. If I use "=1/3.1" it works. Just can't use "+" in a formula where
the denominator contains a fractional number. I'm know I've entered similar
formulas in the past that worked and entering the same "+1/3.1" or similar
in other spreadsheets works as expected. It's just this one spreadsheet
that gives the error. I'm guessing there may be some setting in this
particular spreadsheet that's causing the problem but I can't imagine what.
Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

yOU Did Not say whether "=+1/3.1" or "=+(1/3.1)" work.
 
E

Erehwon

Rick Merrill said:
yOU Did Not say whether "=+1/3.1" or "=+(1/3.1)" work.
Click to expand...

"=+1/3.1" and "=+(1/3.1) both work. "+(1/3.1)" does not. I have been using
Excel for quite a few years and just about always (for better or worse)
enter formulas starting with a "+" rather than "=". Excel has always added
the "=" in front of the "+" automatically. Never had a problem until now
with this one spreadsheet. I can also still put a 1 in cell A1 and use the
formula "+A1/3.1" in another cell without an error.
 
E

Erehwon

Erehwon said:
"=+1/3.1" and "=+(1/3.1) both work. "+(1/3.1)" does not. I have been
using
Excel for quite a few years and just about always (for better or worse)
enter formulas starting with a "+" rather than "=". Excel has always
added
the "=" in front of the "+" automatically. Never had a problem until now
with this one spreadsheet. I can also still put a 1 in cell A1 and use
the
formula "+A1/3.1" in another cell without an error.
Click to expand...
I seem to have uncovered part of the "mystery". The spreadsheet that was
giving me the problem has most of the cells formatted as "Number". If I
change the format of a cell back to "General" the formula "+1/3.1" works.
Tried the same thing with a new spreadsheet. As long as I stay with the
default "General" format the formula works. Change the format to "Number"
and it gives an error. Still don't know why it causes the error or why I
haven't run across it before.
 
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