Excel doesn't acknowledge formula as an operation

[don]

Ever since I have started using Excel 2007 now and then Excel views
the formula as a text string, not a formula.

For instance, today I entered =if(m2>L2,"Jan"," ")
The formula just stayed as entered on the screen, ie, it didn't
execute the formula. When I opened a new workbook and entered the same
formula it worked without any problems.

By the way I am saving the files as Excel97-Excel2003 compatible.

Any suggestions on what I am doing incorrectly.

Thanks

Don

 

[NickHK]

Don,
With a new WB, all cells are formatted as "General", so formulae work as
expected.

If the cell(s) in your problem WB/WS have been formatted as Text at some
previous stage, then formulae will remain as Text and not be calculated.
Solution is to format as General, then reevaluate.

NickHK