Make sure numbers are not formatted as text values. Numbers formatted as text values are another common reason for Excel formulas not working. At first sight, they look like normal numbers, but Microsoft Excel perceives them as text strings and leaves out of calculations.
Why Excel is not calculating a result?
Every once in a while, you might find Excel behaving in a bizarre or unexpected way. One example is when you accidentally trigger the scroll lock feature. Another example is when one or more formulas suddenly stops working.
This begs the inquiry “Why is my excel not calculating correctly?”
We can dig in! the most likely cause of this issue is the Calculation Option mode, and it’s a critical setting that every Excel user should know about. To check what calculation mode Excel is in, go to the Formulas tab, and click on Calculation Options. This will bring up a menu with three choices. The current mode will have a checkmark next to it.
Symptoms : A cell displays the formula, not the result. If your Excel formula is not working because a cell displays the function instead of the calculated value, it’s because one of the following reasons. Show Formulas mode is turned on.
It is formatted as text; when the cells are formatted as text excel cannot read numbers and return the result for your applied formula. Change the format of the cells to General or Convert to Numbers.
When Excel formulas are not updating automatically, most likely it’s because the Calculation setting has been changed to Manual instead of Automatic. To fix this, just set the Calculation option to Automatic again. On the Excel ribbon, go to the Formulas tab > Calculation group, click the Calculation Options button, and select Automatic:.
What are the common problems with Excel formulas?
Excel formulas not working – a formula returns an error or wrong result. Excel formulas not updating – a formula displays an old value after the values of the dependent cells have been updated. Excel formulas not calculating – a cell displays a formula, not result .
Does the formula show the formula itself or the result?
Now take a look at the first possibility of formula showing the formula itself, not the result of the formula. Look at the below image where the SUM function in excel SUM Function In Excel The SUM function in excel adds the numerical values in a range of cells.