clearing a cell and keeping the formula

[genevieveg]

hi Im new to excel I seem to lose my formula's everytime I go back to
enter some data that I may enter wrong for example I have put the
formula in and go back and put a number in the cell and find it's the
wrong # so I backspace or hit delete and I lose my formula and clear
the cell what am I doing wrong??

 

[Chip Pearson]

A cell can contain either a formula or a constant value, not
both. There is no way to "clear a cell and keep the formula".


--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel
Pearson Software Consulting, LLC
www.cpearson.com


"genevieveg"
in message
news:[email protected]...

 

[genevieveg]

I don't understand??? I make a spreadsheet with formula's on it and than
go back to use it and put numbers in that cell and put the wrong number
so I clear it I lose the formula why dose it work with the numbers in
it when I dont go back and clear it???

 

[Gord Dibben]

gg

Show us one of your formulas before you clear it.

Then tell us what you are doing to "clear it"

An example of a formula................entered in A1

=1+2+3 would equal 6

Do you want to edit this so you get 8 instead of 6?

Hit F2 key and change just the 1 to 3 and <ENTER> to get 8

Formulas usually collect data from other cells like...........

in A1 you have =B1*C1

As you change the data in B1 or C1 then A1 will show those changes.

If you type directly into A1 you will lose the formula.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Chris Hoagland]

protect the worksheet so the formulas stay in it . then you can change or
delete the data and the formula stays..

 

[Ron Coderre]

Let's see if I stumbled onto what you're looking for.....

1)You have a formula in a cell
2)You type some value in that cell and press [Enter]
(obiliterating the formula and replacing it with your new entry)

3)You realize you made a mistake and you want your formula back

If that is your situation.....
Edit>Undo
That will reverse your input and restore the formula.

Also, each time you Edit>Undo....Excel will back up another step (up to 10
times)

(A short cut for Edit>Undo is to Hold down the [Ctrl] key and press Z )

Does that help?

***********
Regards,
Ron

XL2002, WinXP-Pro