Forum Discussion
Brackets around negative numbers (formatting)
I am trying to get to grips with the basics of excel at the moment and just trying to sort out some optimal settings. In finance I think its standard for negative numbers to be in brackets i.e. -900 = (900). However where the tutorials state I can change this it gives me two identical options, one in red and one in black. Is it a bug that the brackets aren't appearing around two of the options in the menu. I have recently download Microsoft and have not made any edits to the settings.
Don't know if its relevant but this is running on a mac via bootcamp.
You may change Windows regional settings as here Negative numbers aren't showing with parentheses in Excel - Microsoft Support
Alternatively apply first negative numbers with Red format. Select cells again, Ctrl+1->Number->Custom
and here change text after semicolon on
You may remove [Red] if prefer default color.
16 Replies
Just open Control Panel and click on "Change date, time or number formats" (highlighted in image attached) > Additional Settings > under Numbers tab in front of Negative numbers format choose bracket number using drop down menu.
Similarly do this under currency tab in front of negative currency format.
I've attached images to better understand and resolve the issue PERMANENTLY.
Thanks for the illustration of already mentioned link https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/negative-numbers-aren-t-showing-with-parentheses-in-excel-682a1cc5-701a-4ce7-92db-cc9eebc5ffa0
- Thank you. Works. Problem solved.
You may change Windows regional settings as here Negative numbers aren't showing with parentheses in Excel - Microsoft Support
Alternatively apply first negative numbers with Red format. Select cells again, Ctrl+1->Number->Custom
and here change text after semicolon on
You may remove [Red] if prefer default color.
In custom the bracket formula is not available and I have gone to clock setting and changed to ( ). changing negative numbers to brackets is not available under any of the categories in the home>number tab
Sorry, I didn't catch. We have pre-defined number formats which depend on regional settings. And we have custom number format which we construct ourselves.
Yes, red and brackets are not predefined, but it's not necessary to add such format in regional settings as default one. We may use custom number format like
- Fantastic thank you very much the root of the issue was sorted by your first link, don't know that even effected excel. I will keep the custom stuff in mind as well though ! thanks again
Harry_S_S , you are welcome
Detlef_Lewin I have just tried both and both show a minus sign but no brackets
i have the same problem there i another solution ?
