Copied formula from one workbook shows up as text in new workbook cell

Hello,

I've been trying to copy a formula from one workbook to another workbook, but when I do the formula shows up in the cell instead of its result. The only way I can get the result is to double-click on the cell and then press enter. I've got thousands of these formulas I need to copy and paste. Is there a way to highlight all of them and switch the text to a formula with a few clicks of a button?

The reason I've got to paste the formulas from one workbook to another is quite complicated. I had to create 1000 indirect formulas with absolute references by combining several cells into one and then copying that one cell and pasting the value of it into another.

Originally Posted by davesexcel

Hi,
Did you try paste special then select formulas then OK

Yes, sir. I tried that. It still pastes the formula as text in the cell.

Maybe this will help explain my situation. To get the fromula on the first workbook I used a formula to combine several cells into one. I then copied that cell and pasted the value only in the cell next to it, which gave me the text I needed for the formula on the new workbook. The problem is when I copy that text and paste it to another cell it shows up as text and not a formula, unless I double-click on it and press enter. Then the desired result (calculation) shows up.

I did notice that if I double-clicked on the cell in the first workbook that contains the text for the formula and then pressed enter, it was converted to a formula; and if I then pasted that cell into the new workbook it shows up with the desired result.

I just need to know how to switch my text to a formula without having to double-click and press enter on each cell.