Comments on: Excel formulas not working, not updating, not calculating: fixes & solutions

This tutorial explains the most common mistakes when making formulas in Excel, and how to fix a formula that is not calculating or not updating automatically. Continue reading →

Comments page 11. Total comments: 459

  1. Hi, wondered if you can help, i have a spreadsheet. Edited the formula and its now displaying as zero even though the returned value should not be zero. Then i went and changed a figure of the precedents to get this to work and it fixed the orginial formula but now this one does not. tried updating sheets and cell formatting and no luck....any ideas? thanks

  2. If function does not update or calculate easiest trick is to create function to new blank excel and copy it from there to existing sheet. This method copies all formatting as needed.

    1. Thank you this helped me solve my problem. The new spreadsheet displayed the same issue, so I changed the formula.

  3. thanks kindly, correcting to Auto Calculation, which i had mistakenly turned off, repaired my problem.

  4. Thank you so much! I have been having this problem on and off for years. So helpful.

  5. I have same issues as above but, my calculation options are set to automatic and my formatting is not on text - it is set to percentage. This formula works on all other years data except for 2018 data; it will not automatically populate. HELP!

  6. Very helpful!

  7. Thank very much

  8. Wow, thank you - Calculation setting has been changed to Manual instead of Automatic ! Was about to scream before I read this ! 2 minutes later all sorted ! Thank you !

  9. Thanks very helpful and it worked!

  10. Solved after much trauma. I thought I was going mad.
    I also have been running Wordperfect Quattro pro and having the same problem there and am about to investigate that.

  11. Hooray, thank you search engines and thank you for your article in solving my problem.

  12. When I updated the cell with new values the cell continued to show the old value. After reading this tutorial, I fixed it in 30 seconds by restoring Calculation Options back to automatic. Thank you!

  13. None of this applies. Excel will evaluate the formula once and then stop.

  14. Thank you!

  15. none of the 3 above advises are working I still have the same problem that the formula is not changing to text nor numbers... can someone help please?

    1. Great Help!

  16. every time i change the number the font corrupted

    N.B the font is Arabic

  17. very useful
    thanks a million

  18. very helpful! & useful

  19. thanks that is very usful

  20. In my worksheet I continuously add a range of cells (not the entire column) using the sum formula, however if I insert a new row below my cell range but above the sum total cell, it does not recalculate the sum total. How can I update the sum total without having to adjust the cell range each and every time I insert a new row below the cell range/above the sum total cell. Thank you for your time. Victoria

    1. Hi Victoria, try formatting the entire range as a table, that way, Excel should automatically add the new row to the table, and then update the sum. The formula for the sum would look something like this =sum(Table1[Column1])

      1. I was having trouble with the upper formula not showing results of the formula. I updated the worksheet to a table as mentioned above and it worked!

  21. Wow - very helpful! With 3 clicks my problem of cells not automatically updating was fixed. Thank you!!!

  22. Hi,
    I've created this formula, trying to pull out a data from a table to another table
    there is no indication that there is an error in the formula but I get the wrong results, while testing the formula with F9 gives me correct results, any idea how to fix it?
    =IF(ROWS(F$17:F17)=$G$12,INDEX(A$2:A$62,SMALL(IF($G$11=A$2:A$62,ROW($A$2:$A$62)-ROW($A$2)+1),ROWS(F$17:F17)),ROWS(F$17:F17)),"")

    the result I get is the value in A17 while the correct answer should be A6

    1. Hello,
      For me to understand the problem better, please send me a small sample workbook with your source data and the result you expect to get to support@ablebits.com. Please don't worry if you have confidential information there, we never disclose the data we get from our customers and delete it as soon as the problem is resolved.
      Please also don't forget to include the link to this comment into your email.
      I'll look into your task and try to help.

  23. I have a excel sheet with formulas which was delivering correct results before upgrading my windows.

    After upgrading latest updates the sheet is not giving correct answers.

    I have checked the formulas they are same.

    Same sheet delivers proper answers on other systems.

  24. Hi!
    When I'm using Excel and want to enter a function, I typ for example "=S" and then Excel lists all the funktion options for me. The problem is that when I select the wanted function and press enter it leaves the cell with only "=S" and moves to the cell below. How do i fix this? I want to press enter so that the funktion is selected and i can start plugging in values faster.

    1. Hit tab instead of enter to selection the function.

  25. Thank you for sharing this information. this was really helpful.

  26. Hi,

    Why any functions are not working in my Excel sheet.This data copied another sheet.

  27. Good Morning
    I have a problem with formatting. I have and appointment start date and time in Cell H5, which by using the formula =TEXT(H5,"hh:mm")in cell K5, I have the time only, it is the same for the appointment end time. I now need to see if the appointments start and end within a particular frame. By using =IF(AND(K5>=O3,AND(M5<=O4)).
    The formula works on a practice sheet where I have typed the appointment times in, but not with the data where the time formula is. Can you help please?

  28. Thank you! Yet another save on your part.

  29. Hi Everyone, I'm trying to work out why one cell is not giving the right answer when every other cell is...
    I've triple checked the formulas to see if they are consistent & they seem to be.. any help would be greatly appreciated.

    This is the formula:
    =IF($D7='Vehicle List'!$B$4,LOOKUP(F7,'Delivery Rates 010717'!$A$3:$A$529,'Delivery Rates 010717'!$E$3:$E$529),LOOKUP(F7,'Delivery Rates 010717'!$A$3:$A$529,'Delivery Rates 010717'!$F$3:$F$529))

    Breakdown:
    D7= Vehicle registration number
    'Vehicle List' B4:B13= List of vehicle registration numbers
    'Vehicle List' C4:c13= Lists whether the rego in column B is a SEMI or TRAY truck
    F7= Suburb
    'Delivery Rates 010717'A3:A529= List of suburbs
    'Delivery Rates 010717'E3:E529= List of prices if D7 is a TRAY truck
    'Delivery Rates 010717'F3:F529= List of prices if D7 is a SEMI truck

    The formula needs to take the Tray or Semi price from another spreadsheet(Delivery Rates 010717 ranging from E3:E529 or F3:F529)but the same workbook, depending on what value is entered into F7.
    F7 will match a cell in Delivery Rates 010717 A3:A529 then should correspond with the relevant value in either column E or F.

    But for some reason it is returning a value from a completely different row in Delivery Rates 010717 rather than the row that matches.

    Hard to explain, so I hope this makes sense!!

  30. Hi to everyone. I have a question about the use of function in Excel. I am trying to use the vlookup function, and I am sure it is set up correctly, but the result for no reason is the same for all the rows, which is strange... Unless I hit for each Enter individually, then it calculates correct. Can you help please? Thanks to everyone in advance.

  31. I've created a spreadsheet using the "IF" formula, in which it contains many "ifs"....this formula works but every time I open my spreadsheet on a different computer and add lines to it, the formulas will no longer calculate and it automatically changes all pre-existing formula's to "#NAME?"....when they worked prior to making any changes. I tried to completely re-enter the formula but if I modify the spreadsheet in any way, it changes all cells with formulas to "#NAME?". Any ideas?

    1. Hello, Lori,

      I'm afraid it's hard to tell what's been causing the problem, since we don't know how your data is stored, what formula you're trying to use and how you put it down.

      So, for us to be able to assist you better, please send us your workbook to support@ablebits.com and describe in detail, where is the formula that doesn't work and what it should return. Please don't worry if you have confidential information there, we never disclose the data we get from our customers and delete it as soon as the problem is resolved. Or you can replace any important information with some irrelevant data, just keep the format.

  32. I have several (8) spreadsheets in one main workbook, with formulas that pulls data from (7) other workbooks. This is in excel office 365. they reside on my computer but in the One Drive folder.(as in I can work offline on them).
    When I open the main workbook, it asks if I want to update. If I update, it brakes all formulas across all the sheets. it shows "#VALUE!" instead of the actual value.
    The formulas are like this: =SUMIF('https://d.docs.live.net/c9f55c59cfded66b/Documents/Scott^0Me/2017 Spreadsheet/TruckExpense.xlsx'!Expense_Category,D2,'https://d.docs.live.net/c9f55c59cfded66b/Documents/Scott^0Me/2017 Spreadsheet/TruckExpense.xlsx'!Expense_Amount)

    When I first create the formula it looks like this: =SUMIF(TruckExpense.xlsx!Expense_Category,D2,TruckExpense.xlsx!Expense_Amount)
    When I reopen the source, the formula reverts back to original also.

    Everything works fine if I don't update, except if I delete a cell or drag down a cell to copy formula below it, they all brake again.
    the way to fix this is:
    Data Tab, select "Edit Links" select each links called "source" and select "Open Source" for each link. then the formulas work again.

    I would like to know why it does this and if there is a solution to stop this from happening?
    I have 7 linked workbooks to 7 spreadsheets on the main workbook. It gets old to have to do this all the time and of course they won't show correct information when looking at it on excel online. I also can not update online on One Drive. it says "Links are disabled"

    I hope you can help!
    Thank you

  33. Hi I'm not good with excel, but I'm trying to calculate a column of numbers from extracted data from another row, the formula for the rows that I'm trying to add up is =MID(A2825,50,2) when I try and add the column with formula =SUM(T7:T2825) it comes up with "0"

  34. Formula will not calculate in a single cell with 20 cells above and 15 cells below are calculating correctly the same formula and providing correct answers
    example:
    =g43+k43+o43 answer 23,455
    =g44+k44+o44 answer -
    =g45+k44+o44 answer 16,201
    Calculation Options are on "automatic"
    Cell Data Delimited, no delimiters checked, text qualifier "none", column data format "General"
    Driving me nuts. Ran out of what to try. Thanks much!

  35. I can't get formula to calculate in excel. I have made sure I have set calculate to automatic. I deliberately opened up a new workbook and typed in an exact copy of an old workbook (paying catalogue off) which worked perfectly before. It did not work this time. It was a basic formula =(e1-e52). In the second workbook I noticed e52) appeared in red. This didn't happen in the first book. Can anyone please advise

  36. I have been using the same worksheet and updating it on daily basis. so i use if condition =if(A1>30,300,0) but when i am using this formula is always showing 300 even A1 value is 0
    please let me know what should i do

  37. I have been using the same worksheet and updating it weekly for a year. I now find that if the calculated value (sum) is greater than 19.99 the correct value is displayed when hovering over the field but ### is what is displayed in the field.
    I have others that behave in the same manor with a calculated value (sum) is greater than 9.99.

    I typically use 2013 and I am using the same sheet in 2016

    Thank you for any insight

    Paul

    1. Hello, Paul,

      Usually ### symbols mean that the column is not wide enough to show the result. Try making it wider. If the problem persists, send us your workbook to support@ablebits.com and reference your comment and this article in the e-mail. We'll take a look and try to help.

  38. I have a complicated spreadsheet that has multiple tabs and formulas pulling from multiple tabs. I updated the data for one section and now my formulas are not working. I have a concatenate and also if(iserror(vlookup) formulas that the updated info is pulling from. All of the updated information is in the exact same format and the formulas have not changed. My calculations are on (turned off & tried manually as well) and I'm not getting an error, just nothing is returning. Any ideas?

  39. friends i creat a excel sheet and conect it to another excel sheet but the formulas is not automatic chang the amount kindly help me please this my fb account arman khan and whatsapp 03009000493

  40. Hi
    Svetlana Cheusheva ok, my system excel2013 Formulas problem has been solved.

    Thanks

  41. nup.. doesn't work still not calculate the sum of a range of cells NB one Column only.. a rainfall record.. not what I would call complex Chhers Roger

  42. I have an SQL query that I run in SQL Management studio and then paste into Excel. Parts of that query include some excel formulas like VLOOKUP(...) or Hyperlink(...) as well as data from the database.

    When I copy and paste these rows into excel, the formulas evaluate just fine. But now I am trying to build that query into the spreadsheet using data connections and the formulas are not being treated as formulas. The cells are formatted as General. The formulas start with =. If I click on the formula cell, pretend to edit it (making no edits) and then press enter, it calculates. But I don't want to do that twice per row ~ 1000 times.

    1. Found a workaround. Do a find-replace of = with =
      That triggers the calculation. But it still isn't a permanent fix.

  43. DITTO to #77 ! Frustration OVER !

  44. Hello anyone, I am trying to work out my mpg by using the formula =sum(E18/b18) and I get value instead of an answer. The whole line is 24.28Litres costing 117.7 totalling 28.58 with 213.2 miles. Why do I get value rather than a result? I was using Libra which did the calculation and switched to MS 365 which doesn't.

  45. last 20years am using excel, i just confused suddenly my formulas not working, after i searched google.... and i found this page, its great to have such solution (switching calculation back from manual to automatic),thank you dear

  46. Thanks for this, my excel formulae were not working this morning and it was indeed a terrifying experience, great to have such a simple solution (switching calculation back from manual to automatic)

  47. Hi my excel sheet contains addition formula for a particular date and that date is linked with other formulas.
    but even single is not working out what might be the probable cause ?

  48. Your article assumes a "mistake" was made in entering formulas.. I have used Excel for years and now it doesn't work... no mistake made. Call it what it is a huge Microsoft BUG! It will no longer copy formulas down a column using relative and absolute values either!

  49. I want to thank you very much. I was sick to my stomach when I came in today and tried to use my spreadsheet that I developed for use every day only to find out that some rather complex formulas had stopped working. I had a glitch in my computer yesterday causing one of my displays to rotate 90 degrees CCW. Apparently it also caused some changes in my Excel settings. After reading your information I was able to quickly determine that it had switched from automatic calculation to manual. Easy fix. Thanks again.

  50. Thanks, it was in 'Text' format.

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