Weird Excel Issue - 0 showing up instead of correct value

1. Cell Formatting:

• While you mentioned reformatting the cells to currency, it's possible that there are underlying formatting issues causing problems. Try the following:
  • Right-click on cells C18 to C21 and select "Format Cells."
  • Under the "Number" tab, ensure the "Category" is set to "Currency" and choose the desired number of decimal places.
  • Click "OK" to apply the formatting.

2. Hidden Characters:

• Sometimes, cells might appear to contain only numbers but might have hidden characters like leading or trailing spaces that affect calculations. Try the following:
  • Double-click on cell C18 (or any of the other cells) to enter editing mode.
  • Carefully check for any invisible characters at the beginning or end of the value. You can use the "Find and Replace" function (Ctrl+H) with a space in the "Find what" field to identify and remove them.

3. Formula Issue:

• Although you mentioned using SUM(C18:C21), it's worth double-checking the formula in cell C22. Ensure there are no extra spaces or typos within the formula itself.

4. Circular Reference:

• In rare cases, a circular reference might be causing the issue. This happens when a cell's value depends on its own calculation, leading to an infinite loop and incorrect results. To check for this:
  • Go to the "Formulas" tab.
  • Click on "Error Checking" and then "Circular References."
  • Excel will highlight any cells involved in circular references, allowing you to fix them.

Additional Tips:

• Try copying and pasting the values from cells C18 to C21 into C22 directly. This bypasses the formula and can help confirm if the issue lies with the formula or the underlying values.
• If the issue persists, consider creating a new spreadsheet and entering the values again to see if the problem is specific to the current file.

By trying these steps systematically, you should be able to identify the cause of the issue and get your formula to display the correct sum in cell C22.

The issue you're encountering in Excel with the SUM function is likely due to how Excel interprets the values in cells C18 to C21. Here are two possible explanations and solutions:

1. Cell Formatting:

Even though the cells appear to display currency values, Excel might be interpreting them as text due to formatting inconsistencies. This can happen if you:

• Copied and pasted values from another source: The formatting might not have been copied correctly.
• Manually entered the values with leading currency symbols: Excel might treat these as text instead of numbers.

Solution:

• Reformat the cells: Select cells C18 to C22 and go to the "Home" tab. In the "Number" section, choose "Currency" from the format dropdown. This ensures Excel interprets the values as numbers.
• Use the NUMBERVALUE function: In cell C22, enter the formula =SUM(NUMBERVALUE(C18:C21)). This function converts the text values in the range to numbers before performing the sum, ensuring accurate calculation.

2. Hidden Characters:

There might be hidden characters in the cells, such as leading or trailing spaces, that are preventing Excel from recognizing the values as numbers. These characters might not be visible but can affect calculations.

Solution:

• Copy and paste values only: Select cells C18 to C21, right-click, and choose "Copy." Then, right-click in cell C22 and choose "Paste Special" > "Values." This pastes only the numerical values without any formatting or hidden characters.
• Use the CLEAN function: In cell C22, enter the formula =SUM(CLEAN(C18:C21)). This function removes any leading or trailing spaces or other non-printable characters from the text, allowing Excel to interpret them correctly.

By trying these solutions, you should be able to get the correct sum in cell C22 using the SUM function. If the issue persists, consider checking for circular references in your spreadsheet, which can also lead to unexpected results.

It's interesting that you're encountering this unexpected behavior in Excel. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try to address the issue of the SUM function returning 0 in cell C22:

1. Check for hidden characters:

• Excel can sometimes interpret hidden characters, like spaces or non-breaking spaces, as part of the cell value, even though they might not be displayed. These characters can interfere with calculations.
  • To check for hidden characters, right-click on cell C22 and select "Format Cells."
  • Under the "Number" tab, choose "Custom" and then click on the format code box.
  • Look for any extra characters beyond the currency formatting symbols. If you find any, remove them and click "OK" to save the changes.

2. Verify cell formatting:

• While you mentioned reformatting the cells, it's worth double-checking that all cells (C18 to C21) are indeed formatted as "Currency."
  • Select cells C18 to C21 and right-click.
  • Choose "Format Cells."
  • Under the "Number" tab, ensure "Currency" is selected and choose the appropriate number of decimal places and symbol.

3. Consider formula entry:

• There's a slight difference in how you've entered the SUM formula in your examples:
  • =SUM(C18:C20) works as expected.
  • =SUM(C18:C21) displays 0.

This difference might be related to how the formula is entered. Try entering the formula that includes all cells (C18:C21) by:

- Clicking on cell C22.
- Typing `=` and then selecting all cells (C18 to C21).
- Pressing `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `Enter` simultaneously.

This method ensures the formula is entered as an array formula, which is necessary when referencing a range of cells in the SUM function.

4. Explore formula breakdown:

• Since the formula preview in the function arguments dialog shows the correct sum (36094.575), the issue might lie in how the formula is displaying the result.
  • Try using a different cell for the calculation. Enter =SUM(C18:C21) in a new cell (e.g., D22) and see if the value displays correctly.

5. Consider cell references:

• If the issue persists, double-check the cell references in your formula for any typos or incorrect selections. Ensure they accurately point to the intended cells.

By following these steps systematically, you should be able to identify the cause of the SUM function not working as expected and get the correct value displayed in cell C22.