Cell displaying function, not value

[bigbavarian]

Hello Everyone,

Someone gave me an excel spreadsheet with SSNs and asked that I find duplicates in a particular column. I sorted the column of numbers and in the cell to the right tried to enter a formula like this =D2=D3. In some spreadsheets with numbers it will display either true or false. In this spreadsheet it dispolays the actual function of =D2=D3.

I tried to reformat the column but nothing seams to work. Is it because they are SSNs?

Stephen

[DonkeyOte]

Format the range containing the formulae as General, then highlight the range and Edit -> Replace -> What: = With: =

[Shijesh Kumar]

Select the column.

Click on Data --> Text to column

Select Fixed with radio button.

Click on finish

[bigbavarian]

Thank you both for your suggestions. They both help once I have data in there. It is funny because when I create the formula and drag it down, the first cell referenced is absolute and the second it relational like this.

=D2=D3
=D2=D4
=D2=D5
=D2=D6

I would like...
=D2=D3
=D3=D4
=D4=D5
=D5=D6

What I ended up doing is dragging the formula down knowing it was wrong, doing either text to column or general and replace the =.

Then dragged the formula down the column again.

I wish there was a way to repormat the column cells prior to entering the initial formula.

Again, thank you both.

Stephen