How to NOT enter dates?

Hi,

I've just started using Excel for Windows.

Initially, it interpreted every value I entered as a date.

I then went to format cells and tried everything, "text", "number", various "custom" settings. The only thing that changed was that whole numbers were correctly displayed, but numbers with decimals would come out as this huge number (e.g. I enter 1.25, it comes out as 4938) - which I assume is related to this dates as a sequence business in excel.

I just want to enter a column of numbers and add them up... basic, basic, and it's chomped an hour of my time so far.

Ideas anyone?

Thanks in advance,
Glitz.

Check TOOLS -> OPTIONS -> General
and see if you have R1C1 reference style checked.

"glitzernes" wrote:

>
> Hi,
>
> I've just started using Excel for Windows.
>
> Initially, it interpreted every value I entered as a date.
>
> I then went to format cells and tried everything, "text", "number",
> various "custom" settings. The only thing that changed was that whole
> numbers were correctly displayed, but numbers with decimals would come
> out as this huge number (e.g. I enter 1.25, it comes out as 4938) -
> which I assume is related to this dates as a sequence business in
> excel.
>
> I just want to enter a column of numbers and add them up... basic,
> basic, and it's chomped an hour of my time so far.
>
> Ideas anyone?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Glitz.
>
>
> --
> glitzernes
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> glitzernes's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=24148
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=377648
>
>

OOPS! THis was supposed to go to another thread.

"Barb R." wrote:

> Check TOOLS -> OPTIONS -> General
> and see if you have R1C1 reference style checked.
>
> "glitzernes" wrote:
>
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I've just started using Excel for Windows.
> >
> > Initially, it interpreted every value I entered as a date.
> >
> > I then went to format cells and tried everything, "text", "number",
> > various "custom" settings. The only thing that changed was that whole
> > numbers were correctly displayed, but numbers with decimals would come
> > out as this huge number (e.g. I enter 1.25, it comes out as 4938) -
> > which I assume is related to this dates as a sequence business in
> > excel.
> >
> > I just want to enter a column of numbers and add them up... basic,
> > basic, and it's chomped an hour of my time so far.
> >
> > Ideas anyone?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Glitz.
> >
> >
> > --
> > glitzernes
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > glitzernes's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=24148
> > View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=377648
> >
> >