Formulas Don't Calculate as Formulas

This happens often to me, usually when I am adding a column next to another formula column. I highlight the column then use the View / Text to Columns, and making sure Delimiter is checked, click Finish. It will then calculate the formulas all the way down the column.

@Alex B - Thanks. Option 2 works as not all the formulas are the same in every row of the column.

Oops
" for multiple cells in the same row:-" **** should be column ****
"Typically all formulas in the row" **** should be column ****

@Ruthie - The changing the formatting to general is only the first step and doesn't convert the formulas from text.

Once you have changed the column to General you need to make Excel think that you are re-entering the formula into the cell. So
1) To do the first cell just go into edit mode in the cell and hit enter.
2) You are not going to do that for the more than one cell. So for multiple cells in the same row:-

2.1) Option 1
Typically all formulas in the row are all the same formula so you simply copy the formula you fixed in 1) above down to all the rows.

2.2) Option 2
If you have different formulas on different rows or for some other reason you don't want to do the above, you can use Data > Text to columns per my post below.

(You are just trying to trick Excel into thinking you have re-entered the formula now that the column is no longer formatted as text)

How do you change the default formatting to general and get it to stay that way for an entire column? I've tried reformatting the column repeatedly to both general and numeric and still have rows where Excel thinks the formula is a text string. I'm adding/correcting formulas in a spreadsheet that's 244,000 rows long and would rather not do them all individually!

I have run into this problem quite a few times, and the best way I've found to fix it is to drag another cell over the top of the cell that is having problems, essentially moving the other cell to the same location as the problem cell.

Gary Lundblad

The unexpected treatment of a column as Text typically happens when the data is imported or copy/pasted from another source and as such is more common with values and dates than formulas. Inserting a column to the right of an existing Text formatted column also formats the new column as Text, which is often when it impacts formulas.

Formatting the column as General as mentioned in the tip is always the first step, and the Convert Text to Columns for the offending data will generally fix it. Just make sure you pick a delimiter option that is not in the data ie Tab and select the column data format General (if dates select “Date”) and have the destination the same as the source range.

Also check to see if the workbook calculation option has been set to manual in lieu of automatic. Press F9 (the recalculate shortcut) to see if the cell calculates as desired.

If it does, reset the workbook calculation option on the ribbon: Formulas | Calculation Options | Automatic

Occasionally I run into this problem. A solution that always works for me when nothing else works is search and replace "=" with "=" (just the equal sign, not the quotes).