Why doesn't the formula calculate in Excel? Recommendations to avoid the appearance of non-working formulas. Excel Errors - Merging Text Correctly
You can customize the display of zero values in a cell, or you can use a set of formatting standards in the table that require you to hide zero values. You can show and hide null values in different ways.
Hide and show all null values in a worksheet
-
Show zeros in cells that contain zero values.
Select File > Options > Additionally.
In Group
Hiding null values in selected cells
These steps hide zero values in selected cells using a number format. Hidden values appear only in the formula bar and are not printed. If the value in one of these cells changes to a non-zero value, it will be displayed in the cell and the value format will be similar to the general number format.
Showing Hidden Values.
Highlight cells with hidden zero values.
You can press the keys CTRL+1 or on the tab home click Format > Format Cells.
To apply the default number format, select Number > General and press the button OK.
Hiding null values returned by a formula
On the tab home Conditional Formatting and choose Cell Highlight Rules > Equals.
In the left field, enter 0 .
In the right field, select Custom Format.
In field Cell Format open the tab Font.
On the list Color select white color and click the button OK.
Display zeros as spaces or dashes
To solve this problem, use the IF function.
If a cell contains zero values, use a formula such as this to return an empty cell:
IF(A2-A3=0;"";A2-A3)
Here's how to read the formula. If the result of the calculation (A2-A3) is "0", nothing is displayed, including "0" (this is indicated double quotes""). Otherwise, the result of the calculation A2-A3 is displayed. If you need to leave the cells empty, but display something other than "0", insert a hyphen "-" or other symbol between the double quotes.
Changing the error display In field Format check the box For errors display
Change the display of empty cells Check the box For empty cells, display
Select a PivotTable report.
On the tab Analysis in Group Pivot table Options and select Options.
Go to the tab Layout and format
The need to display zero values (0) on sheets does not always arise. Whether formatting standards or your own preferences require you to show or hide null values, there are several ways to implement all these requirements.
To display zero (0) values in cells, select the check box Show zeros in cells that contain zero values.
To display zero values as empty cells, clear the check box Show zeros in cells that contain zero values.
Select File > Options > Additionally.
In Group Show options for next sheet select a sheet, and then do one of the following:
You can press the keys CTRL+1 or on the tab home click Format > Format Cells.
In field Type enter 0;-0;;@
Notes:
Hidden values only appear in the formula bar or in the cell if you edit its contents. These values are not printed.
To show hidden values again, select the cells, and then press CTRL+1 or on the tab home in Group Cells hover over element Format and select Cell Format. To apply the default number format, in the list Category select General. To display the date and time again, select the appropriate date and time format from the Number.
Select the cell that contains the zero (0) value.
On the tab home in Group Styles click the arrow next to the element Conditional Formatting, hover over element Cell selection rules and select an option Equals.
In the left field, enter 0 .
In the right field, select Custom Format.
In the dialog box Cell Format open the tab Font.
In field Color choose white color.
To perform this task, use the function IF.
Example
IF function.
Hiding null values in a PivotTable report
On the tab Options in Group PivotTable Options click the arrow next to the command Options and select Options.
Go to the tab Layout and format, and then do the following:
In field Format check the box For errors display. Enter in the field the value that you want to display instead of errors. To display errors as blank cells, remove all text from the field.
Check the box For empty cells, display. Enter the value in the field that you want to display in empty cells. To keep them blank, remove all text from the field. To display zero values, clear this check box.
The need to display zero values (0) on sheets does not always arise. Whether formatting standards or your own preferences require you to show or hide null values, there are several ways to implement all these requirements.
Show or hide all null values in a worksheet
Hiding zero values in selected cells using number format
These steps allow you to hide zero values in selected cells. If the value in one of the cells becomes non-zero, its format will be the same as the general number format.
Select the cells that contain zero (0) values that you want to hide.
You can press the keys CTRL+1 or on the tab home in Group Cells click Format > Format Cells.
In field Type enter 0;-0;;@
Notes:
Hiding null values returned by a formula using conditional formatting
Select the cell that contains the zero (0) value.
On the tab home in Group Styles click the arrow next to the button Conditional Formatting and choose Cell Highlight Rules > Equals.
In the left field, enter 0 .
In the right field, select Custom Format.
In the dialog box Cell Format open the tab Font.
In field Color choose white color.
Use a formula to show zeros as spaces or dashes
To accomplish this task, use the IF function.
Example
To make this example easier to understand, copy it onto a blank sheet of paper.
Copying an example
Highlight the example provided in this article.
Important: Do not highlight row or column headings.
Highlighting an example in help
Press CTRL+C.
In Excel, create a blank workbook or sheet.
Select cell A1 on the sheet and press CTRL+V.
Important: For the example to work correctly, it must be inserted into cell A1.
To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return those results, press CTRL+` (accent mark) or on the tab Formulas In the Formula Dependencies group, click Show formulas.
By copying the example onto a blank sheet, you can customize it to suit your needs.
For more information about using this function, see the article IF Function.
Hiding null values in a PivotTable report
Click the PivotTable report.
On the tab Options in Group PivotTable Options click the arrow next to the command Options and select Options.
Go to the tab Layout and format, and then do the following:
Change the way errors are displayed. In field Format check the box For errors display. Enter in the field the value that you want to display instead of errors. To display errors as blank cells, remove all text from the field.
Change the way empty cells are displayed. Check the box For empty cells, display. Enter the value in the field that you want to display in empty cells. To keep them blank, remove all text from the field. To display zero values, clear this check box.
In this article we will look at what AutoSum is and look at the most effective ways use AutoSums in Excel. You will learn how to use autosum in Excel, you will see how to calculate autosum in Excel column or row using AutoSum buttons, sum only the visible cells, the entire selected range vertically and horizontally at one time, and find out the most common reason why AutoSum in Excel gives 0.
The most common feature that most users use Microsoft Excel, this is the SUM function. It's no surprise that Microsoft Excel decided to add a special button to the Excel ribbon that automatically inserts the SUM function.
In fact, AutoSum in Excel automatically enters a formula to sum the numbers on your worksheet. In this article we will look at the following information:
Where is AutoSum located in Excel?
AutoSum button can be found in two places on the Excel ribbon.
- “HOME” tab --> “Editing” group --> “ Autosum»:
AutoSum in Excel - AutoSum button in Excel
- Tab "FORMULAS" --> group " Function Library» --> « Autosum»:
AutoSum in Excel - AutoSum button in the Formulas tab
Now where is AutoSum in Excel You know.
How to autosum in Excel
Whenever you need to calculate the autosum of one range of cells, be it a column, row or several adjacent columns or rows, you can use Formula in Excel AutoSum to automatically generate the appropriate SUM formula.
To use Autosum in Excel, follow these 3 simple steps:
- Select the cell next to the numbers you want to sum:
- To summarize a column, select the cell immediately below the last value in the column.
- To sum a row, select the cell to the right of the last number in the row.
Autosum in Excel - Select a cell after which you want to calculate the sum
- Click AutoSum button on the “HOME” or “FORMULAS” tab.
The sum formula appears in the selected cell, and the range of cells being summed is highlighted (B2:B6 in this example):
AutoSum in Excel - Click on the AutoSum button on the Home and Formulas tab (in this case, on the Formula tab)
In most cases, Excel selects the correct range for the total amount. In the rare case that the wrong range is selected, you can correct it manually by entering the desired range in the formula or dragging the cursor across the cells you want to sum.
To sum multiple columns or rows at once, select multiple cells at the bottom or right of your table, respectively, and then click AutoSum button or use . For getting additional information see paragraph.
- Press the Enter key to complete the formula.
Now you can see the calculated sum in the cell and the SUM formula in the formula bar:
AutoSum in Excel - Click the Enter key to complete the SUM formula
Let's look at the reasons why Autosum in Excel gives 0.
Autosum in Excel does not calculate
There are times when AutoSum in Excel doesn't work, that is Autosum in Excel gives 0. The most common reason why AutoSum does not work in Excel are numbers formatted as text. At first glance, these values may look like regular numbers, but Excel treats them as text strings and does not take them into account in its calculations.
The most obvious indicators of numbers formatted as text are their left alignment and the small green triangles in the top left corner of cells. To fix such text numbers, select all the problematic cells, click the warning sign, and click Convert to Number.
AutoSum in Excel - Converting a number in text format to numeric
Numbers may be in text format for various reasons, for example they may be imported from external source. Now you know the reason why Autosum in Excel does not calculate your data and solution to this issue.
AutoSum in Excel hotkeys
If you are one of those Excel users who prefer to work with the keyboard rather than the mouse, you can use the following combination AutoSum hotkeys in Excel to sum cells:
AutoSum in Excel - AutoSum in Excel hotkeys
When you hold down the Alt key and press the equal sign (=), the SUM formula is inserted in the selected cell(s) in the same way as when you press AutoSum buttons on the ribbon, and then you press the Enter key to enter the formula.
How to use AutoSum with other functions
In addition to summing cells, you can use the AutoSum button to insert other functions such as:
AVERAGE - returns the average (arithmetic mean) of numbers.
COUNTER - counts the number of cells with numbers.
MAXIMUM - returns the largest value.
MINIMUM - returns the smallest value.
All you have to do is select the cell where you want to paste the formula, click the AutoSum drop-down arrow and select the desired function from the list.
For example, this is how you can get the largest number in column B:
AutoSum in Excel - Using the AutoSum button to insert other formulas (in this case Maximum)
If you select More Functions from the AutoSum drop-down list, Microsoft Excel opens the Insert Function dialog box where you can find the formula you want in the list or use the search function.
How to use AutoSum in Excel only for visible cells
You already know how to use Autosum in Excel for a common column or row. But did you know that you can use this function to sum only visible cells, for example, in a filtered list?
If your data is organized in an Excel table (which you can easily do by pressing the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+T), and you have filtered your data by applying one of the filtering options, pressing AutoSum buttons inserts the SUBTOTALS formula rather than SUM, as shown in the following image:
AutoSum in Excel - Using AutoSum for Visible Cells
Rows 3, 6, 9 and 12 were hidden in the original table. In this case, using AutoSum and the SUBTOTAL function, only visible cells were summed.
Now you know how to use Autosum in Excel to automatically sum cells, reasons why Autosum in Excel gives 0, . But you might want to learn a few time-saving tricks that could make your work even more efficient.
How to use AutoSum for more than one cell at a time
If you want to sum values in multiple columns or rows, select all the cells in which you want to insert the SUM formula, and then click the AutoSum button on the ribbon or .
For example, you can select the cell range B7:D7, click AutoSum, and as the following image shows, the values in each of the three columns are summed individually:
AutoSum in Excel - AutoSum multiple columns at once
How to sum selected cells vertically and horizontally
To summarize only specific cells in a column, select these cells and click AutoSum button. If you want to calculate the sum of selected cells by column, select the cells and click AutoSum.
AutoSum in Excel - Sum selected cells vertically across columns
If you want to sum cells by row, select the cells you want to sum and one empty column on the right. Excel will sum the selected cells horizontally and insert the SUM formula into the empty column included in the selection:
AutoSum in Excel - Sum selected cells horizontally across rows
To sum cells by column and by row, select the cells you want to sum plus one empty row below and one empty column to the right, and Excel will automatically sum the selected cells vertically and horizontally:
AutoSum in Excel - Sum selected cells in columns and rows
Now you know, how to autosum in Excel, Why Autosum in Excel gives 0 and how to fix it and also how to use AutoSum hotkeys in Excel and much more. In addition to our resource, there is another article that discusses various ways, .
Today I came across a situation where... excel formulas did not work when pulling, i.e. there were two columns and it was necessary to calculate the difference of the first two columns in the third column. As a result, the formula is made and stretched down to the end, but the result from the first cell is copied to the remaining cells.
1 Option
It is likely that you have disabled automatic sheet recalculation; to do this, just press the key F9
2 Option for all versions of Office
Check that the cell format is not text (due to this, calculations and, accordingly, formulas may not work)
PS to fix this, select the cells and select General format (see figure Cell Format)
3 Option for Office 2010
Check the formula calculation parameters in the settings.
To do this, click on the menu FILE-> PARAMETERS-> FORMULAS and in the “Calculation Options” menu, look where you have a checkmark (see the picture it should be like this)
4 Option for Office 2007/2010
For Office 2007 the path is like this Formula->Calculation Options-> and put a checkmark on Automatically, except for data tables.(see picture below)
How to calculate the sum of values in Excel
Let's say you have a column with values and you need to know their sum. The easiest way is that you can select the required cells and in the lower right corner of Excel, in the status bar, you will see the sum of the values, their number and even the arithmetic mean.
If you need to use the received amount somewhere or simply display it in a cell, we will use the SUM function. It can work both manually and automatically. Select the required cells and click the “AutoSum” button, it is located on the “Home” tab. The formula for calculating the amount will appear in the next cell below the ones you highlighted. To insert a sum in an arbitrary place, select a blue free cell and type “=SUM(” without quotes in it, then select the desired range with the mouse and press Enter on the keyboard.
Why the amount may not be calculated in Excel
There are two most likely reasons.
1. Incorrect fraction separator. For example, in Windows there is a comma, but in the table you have a dot. Try replacing the separator sign for a pair of values and adding them up. To see what character is in the system, go to the “Control Panel”, select “Language and Regional Standards” -> “Advanced Settings”:
2. Your cells are in text format and, in addition to numbers, they contain extra characters, for example, spaces. Select them and press the right mouse button. Select "Format Cells" from the menu and set the format to "Number" if it's not the same. Check that there is nothing in the cells except numbers.
If you still have questions or need clarification, ask a question, our experts will promptly answer your request.
Excel is used for more than just creating tables. Its main purpose is to calculate numbers using formulas. Just enter new values in the cells and the system will automatically recalculate them. However, in some cases the calculation does not occur. Then, you need to find out why Excel does not calculate the amount.
Main causes of malfunction
Excel may not calculate sums or formulas for many reasons. The problem is often like wrong formula, and in system settings books. Therefore, it is recommended that you use a few tips to find out which one is right for your particular situation.
Changing the cell format
The program displays incorrect calculations if the specified formats do not match the value, which is in the cell. Then the calculation either will not be applied at all, or will produce a completely different number. For example, if the format is text, then the calculation will not be carried out. For the program, this is only text, not numbers. Also, a situation may arise when the format does not correspond to reality. In this case, the user will not be able to insert the calculation correctly, and Excel will not calculate the amount or calculate the result of the formula.
To check whether the issue is really in the format, you should go to the “ home" First, you must select an unverified cell. This tab contains format information.
If you need to change it, just click on the arrow and select the required one from the list. After this, the system will make a new calculation. 
The list of formats in this section is complete, but without descriptions and parameters. Therefore, in some cases the user cannot find the one he needs. Then it is better to use another method. Just like in the first option, you should select cell. After that, right-click and open the “” command. 
IN open window located full list formats with description and settings. Just select the one you want and click on “ OK». 
Disable the “Show formulas” mode
Sometimes the user may notice that instead of a number, the calculation itself is displayed and the formula in the cell is not calculated. Then you need to disable this mode. After this the system will output the finished result calculation, not expression.
To disable the " Show formulas", you should go to the appropriate section " Formulas" Here is the window " Dependencies" This is where the required command is located. To display a list of all dependencies, click on the arrow. From the list you must select “ Show"and disable this mode if it is active. 
Syntax errors
Often, incorrect display of results is a consequence syntax errors. This happens if the user entered the calculation independently and did not resort to the help of the built-in wizard. Then, all cells with errors will not produce a calculation. 
In this case, you should check the correct spelling each cell that produces an incorrect result. You can overwrite all values using the built-in wizard.
Enable formula recalculation
All calculations can be written correctly, but if cell values change, recalculation does not occur. Then it can be disabled automatic calculation change function. To check this, go to the section " File", then " Options». 
In the open window you need to go to the “ Formulas" Here are the calculation parameters. Just check the box “ Automatically» and save the changes so that the system starts recalculating. 
The program can perform a complete calculation, but instead of the finished value, an error is displayed and the column or cell may not add up the numbers. Depending on the message displayed, you can judge what kind of fault has occurred, e.g. division by zero or wrong format.
In order to double-check the syntax and correct the error, you should go to the “ Formulas" The dependencies contain the command that is responsible for the calculations. 
A window will open that displays the formula itself. Here, you should click on " Calculate" to check the error.
Other errors
Also, the user may encounter other errors. Depending on the cause, they can be corrected accordingly.
Formula does not stretch
Stretching is necessary when several cells must carry out the same calculations with different meanings. But sometimes this does not happen automatically. Then you should check that the function is installed automatic filling, which is located in the parameters.
The sum of cells is calculated incorrectly
The amount is also considered incorrect if in the book there are hidden cells. The user does not see them, but the system carries out the calculation. As a result, the program displays one value, but the real amount should be different.
The same problem occurs if displayed values with numbers after the decimal point. In this case, they need to be rounded so that the calculation is carried out correctly.
The formula is not calculated automatically
In the open window, go to setting up automatic recalculation and check the box on the appropriate command. After this you need to save the changes.
