Excel 101 - All Of My Numbers Are Corrupt! (#####) - Episode 1574

Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Don't worry when your numbers all change to ######. It either means the column isn't wide enough (common) or that you have a calculation that yields negative time (rare). Welcome to another episode of the MrExcel netcast. In this episode, we'll be discussing a common issue that many Excel users face - corrupt numbers. Yes, you heard that right, all of your numbers can become corrupt in Excel. But don't worry, we'll show you how to fix it in no time. This podcast is part of our "You Did What?" series, where we share true stories from our viewers about things they've seen their co-workers do. Today's question comes from Tyler, who asks why all of his numbers keep turning into pound signs. Well, Tyler, let me tell you, this is a common problem and we're here to help you understand why it happens and how to fix it. First things first, let's clarify that in the United States, we call these pound signs, but in the UK, they're known as hash signs. So, let's just call them number signs for now. Whenever you see these number signs in your Excel sheet, it means that the column is not wide enough to display the data. Excel treats text and numbers differently, so while it may let text spill into the next column, it won't do the same for numbers. Instead, it will show you the number signs to indicate that the column needs to be widened. So, how do we make the column wider? Well, you could drag the column border, but that can be a real drag (pun intended). You never know how wide to make it and end up with a column that's too wide. Instead, a handy trick is to use the "autofit columns" feature. Simply select all of the cells in the column and double click on the border between two columns. This will automatically adjust the column width to fit the largest number in the column. No more guessing or dragging required. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the MrExcel netcast. Don't forget to check out our book, "Don't Fear the Spreadsheet", which will make Excel for dummies look like it was written for rocket scientists. See you in the next episode!" Buy Bill Jelen's latest Excel book: https://www.mrexcel.com/products/latest/ You can help my channel by clicking Like or commenting below: https://www.mrexcel.com/like-mrexcel-... Table of Contents: (00:00) Issue with Corrupt Numbers (00:47) Explanation of Hash Signs (01:04) Cause of Number Signs (01:40) Solution: Make Column Wider (01:50) How to Make Column Wider (02:10) Demonstration of Autofit Columns (02:27) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm #excel #microsoft #microsoftexcel #exceltutorial #exceltips #exceltricks #excelmvp #freeclass #freecourse #freeclasses #excelclasses #microsoftmvp #walkthrough #evergreen #spreadsheetskills #analytics #analysis #dataanalysis #dataanalytics #mrexcel #spreadsheets #spreadsheet #excelhelp #accounting #tutorial This video answers these common search terms: Autofit columns in Excel Column width in Excel Corrupt numbers in Excel Don't Fear the Spreadsheet book Don't Fear the Spreadsheet podcast episode Making columns wide enough in Excel Number signs in Excel Pound signs in Excel Resizing columns in Excel True stories from podcast viewers Join the MrExcel Message Board discussion about this video at https://www.mrexcel.com/board/threads... Are all of your Numbers in your Spreadsheet appearing as 'Pound Signs' [Hash or Number signs]? Learn why this happens - why it happens with Numbers and not Text - and what you can do to restore the look of your Spreadsheet, as your Numbers are probably not corrupt at all. Following along with Bill in Episode #1574 to learn more about the issue and how to solve it. Many 'Beginner Oriented' Excel How-To books say they can bring you from zero to familiar with the important features of Microsoft Excel -- 'Don't Fear The Spreadsheet' actually will. Why are we so confident? Because the questions in this book were asked by an absolute Excel Beginner -- Tyler Nash -- with the answers provided by three (3) Microsoft MVPs specializing in and dedicated to teaching others Microsoft Excel, from the ground up -- Kevin Jones, Tom Urtis and Bill Jelen http://www.mrexcel.com/dftss_home.html "This Book Makes Excel For Dummies™ Look Like It Was Written For Rocket Scientists!" Are you completely new to Excel? Then you need this book! "The Learn Excel from MrExcel Podcast Series" Visit us: MrExcel.com for all of your Microsoft Excel Needs!