Every time I transfer a file from an external database to Excel, I open it and the cells are formatted as “Text”, even if they really are numbers.
So what I have to do is create a new column, put in the function [e.g. “=value(A2)"]; copy it down so it affects all the rows; then I copy the contents of that column and paste it as values on top of the original one... finally ending up with a “General” values column.
Then I have to repeat this for all columns that are “Text” formatted!
Does anybody know how to avoid this? How can I convert the text-formatted cells into General in one single step; without having to do any of the bogus methods suggested by Microsoft in the following article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291047&sd=tech
Notice how the method I’m using is Number 4 in the article. Method 1 is nice but I have to do it for every single cell, can’t do it for a range of cells (at least I don’t think so). Method 2 is plain stupid and Method 3 is similar to 1, I have to do this for every single cell.
Thanks.
So what I have to do is create a new column, put in the function [e.g. “=value(A2)"]; copy it down so it affects all the rows; then I copy the contents of that column and paste it as values on top of the original one... finally ending up with a “General” values column.
Then I have to repeat this for all columns that are “Text” formatted!
Does anybody know how to avoid this? How can I convert the text-formatted cells into General in one single step; without having to do any of the bogus methods suggested by Microsoft in the following article:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;291047&sd=tech
Notice how the method I’m using is Number 4 in the article. Method 1 is nice but I have to do it for every single cell, can’t do it for a range of cells (at least I don’t think so). Method 2 is plain stupid and Method 3 is similar to 1, I have to do this for every single cell.
Thanks.