what does ## mean?

[Xipha]

I have a formula calculating a value, but instead of showing the answer it
shows ## in the cell, however when you hold the mouse over the block the
correct number shows up in a little box. Does anyone know why this is
happening and how to fix it?

 

[JP]

The column might not be wide enough. Double-click the border in
between the column headers of your column and the one next to it. The
column should autofit to the widest value.


HTH,
JP

 

[FSt1]

hi.
it means that your column is to narrow. increase the width of your column to
fit the data in the cell.

Regards
FSt1

 

[Dave Peterson]

(Saved from a previous post)

It could mean a few things.

1. The columnwidth is too narrow to show the number.

Widen the column or change the font size of that cell. Or change the
numberformat to General.

2. You have a date/time in that cell and it's negative

Don't use negative dates. If excel was helping you, it may have
changed the format to a date. Change it back to General (or some
other number format).

If you need to see negative date/times:
Tools|options|Calculation Tab|and check 1904 date system
(but this can cause trouble--watch what happens to your dates
and watch what happens when you copy|paste dates to a different
workbook that doesn't use this setting)

3. You have a lot of text in the cell, the cell is formatted as Text.

Format the cell as general.

4. You really have ###'s in that cell.

Clean up that cell.

5. You have # in a cell, but it's format is set to Fill.

Change the format
(format|cells|alignment tab|horizontal box, change it to General.

 

[Xipha]

I already tried making the cell wider and it doesn't work. Does it mean
anything that the two number signs are on eon top of the other?

 

[Xipha]

oh wait I fixed it, turned out the orientation of the text somehow got
switched to vertical. I should have clued in to that sooner lol.

 

[JP]

LOL Dave now you can add one more possibility to your boilerplate!


--JP