Copied formulas return zero value

[nils]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I copy formulas from one cell to another, excel sometimes returns a zero value. This seems to happen most when I have an urgent deadline to meet.

example: in cell a1 on the worksheet named m4, I'm creating the formula =sum('m1:m3'!d1) to add the cell d1 contained on worksheets m1, m2, and m3.

When I copy this formula to a2 on sheet m4, which then creates the formula =sum('m1:m3'!d2), a value of zero is (SOMETIMES) returned, rather than the value that should be.

This is irritating.

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

When I copy formulas from one cell to another, excel sometimes returns a zero
value. This seems to happen most when I have an urgent deadline to meet.

example: in cell a1 on the worksheet named m4, I'm creating the formula
=sum('m1:m3'!d1) to add the cell d1 contained on worksheets m1, m2, and m3.

When I copy this formula to a2 on sheet m4, which then creates the formula
=sum('m1:m3'!d2), a value of zero is (SOMETIMES) returned, rather than the
value that should be.

This is irritating.

Excel has a sophisticated internal architecture that senses rapid
keyboard action and jerky mouse movements - it interprets these as signs
of panic, and then adjusts its input parser to insert random glitches
just to mess with one.

Seriously - this should only happen when (a) the sum of cells m1:m3!d2
actually *is* zero, or (b) when the copied value is zero, and
calculation in workbook calculation is set to manual, or (c) formatting
in cell m4!a2 is set to display 0 (either

If it's happening sometimes, and it's neither of the above, is there
anything common to the times that it does? Intermittent problems are
always hard to troubleshoot.

 

[katie_c]

Is it possible that your calculation preference is set to "manual". I often get zeros until I re-calculate.