Forum Discussion
Keep a number as "General"?
How do we keep a column of numbers as type General?
For example, I have column L. I highlight column L. I set type of the entire column L to General. I go into several cells in column L and confirm that they are type General as I had set them to be. So I enter a general number into my cell that I set as a general cell. Excel decides that, no, what I really really want is for that cell to be set to Accounting which means that the cell displays ###### unless I widen it, at which point it becomes a dollar figure. But I'm not dealing with dollars. I'm dealing with general. Which is what I had set the column to be. So I have to go back EVERY TIME I enter data into a cell and switch it back to General which is what I already set it to in the first place. This would make some sense if I had entered 1/17/2025 and it decided to change what I told it (General) to a date, even though I had already told it that I want it to be general and therefore display the '1/17/2025' that I had entered. But if I enter '10230' into a cell that I had specified needed to be General, Excel should not decide that I wanted it to be $10,230.00. I did not.
How do we prevent Excel from overriding our settings?
1 Reply
Here's a proposal how you can prevent this from happening and ensure your cells stay as "General":
Steps to Prevent Excel from Overriding "General" Formatting:
- Check the Cell Format:
- Select a cell or range of cells in Column L.
- Right-click and choose Format Cells (or press Ctrl + 1).
- In the Format Cells window, ensure General is selected (under the Number tab).
- Clear Existing Formatting:
- If Excel is still overriding your formatting, you may have some pre-existing formatting that is conflicting with your settings.
- Select the entire column (or range of cells) in Column L.
- Go to the Home tab and click on Clear (under the Editing group).
- Choose Clear Formats. This will remove any unwanted formatting and leave the cells as General.
- After clearing the format, reset the format back to General through Format Cells (Ctrl + 1).
- Turn Off Auto-formatting Features:
- Excel sometimes automatically applies specific formats based on the data entered. For example, if you enter a number with commas or a number that looks like currency, Excel might apply the Currency or Accounting format.
- To minimize this, ensure that AutoFormat and Automatic Number Formatting features are disabled.
- Check for Custom Styles or Templates:
- Sometimes, Excel may have a default style or template that's overriding your custom formatting. Check if any custom styles or templates are applied to the workbook.
- Go to the Home tab and check the Styles section to see if there are any styles applied to your column.
- Check for Number-Specific Formatting in Data Entry:
- When entering a number, if you type something like $ or use formatting symbols (like commas), Excel may automatically apply the Currency or Accounting format.
- Make sure you enter numbers without any symbols, and Excel should respect the General format.
Alternative: Use a Number as Text
If you want to ensure Excel doesn't apply any automatic formatting (like currency or date), you can enter numbers as text by putting an apostrophe (') before the number (e.g., entering '10230).
By following these steps, you should be able to stop Excel from overriding the General format with Accounting or Currency formats. Make sure to check any auto-formatting settings and clear any conflicting formats in the cells. The text was created with the help of AI.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
Happy Excel-ing!
