How to make a number obey a decimal point in Excel

[DorothyFan1]

Here's a long standing issue which I haven't seen anybody answer. How do I get Excel to obey a decimal point I specify? For example...usually on calculating adding machines...you enter a number...say 1235 and when you hit the Enter key...it shows 12.35 with the decimal exactly two places within the number punched into the number pad. But when I enter 1235 in Excel and I specifically list the decimal point to be 2 places...instead I get 1235.00.

How do I get Excel to put the decimal number exactly two places inside any number I enter into a cell? It could be 100 and the result should read 1.00 or if I enter 25600 the result should read 256.00. So my frustrating problem with Excel is when I specify the 2 decimal point...Excel simply dumps the 2 decimal point after the entire number is entered into that cell when instead...I want it to read any number but force it to place the decimal 2 places regardless of the number entered.

Thanks in advance.

[ChemistB]

If 2010 is like 2007, in Excel options, Advanced>Editing options, there's a check mark for inputting a decimal place before x digits. Find it?

[NBVC]

Go to Home tab, and click Excel Options... then click Advanced on the left side and then check the option that says "automatically insert a decimal point" and choose the number of decimal places. Be aware that this is a permanent change until you change it back....so all other workbooks will have this happen too...

or perhaps try a custom format: 0"."00