Solving Excel 2003 Problem: Entries Not Showing in Formula Bar

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem with Excel 2003 where entries in a cell do not show up in the formula bar. The user has tried various options, including editing directly in cells and checking for a protected or shared worksheet, but the issue persists. They are considering asking the IT team to reinstall Excel.
  • #1
FredGarvin
Science Advisor
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I have a wierdness with Excel 2003 and I can not figure out how to get rid of it:

Problem: The entries in a cell do not show up in the formula bar.

Particulars:
1) If I have an equation in a cell, the equation will show up only if I highlight the cell and then put my cursor in the formula bar.

2) Anything other than an equation, i.e. text or numbers, nothing shows up at all, even if I do what I do in 1) above.

3) If I double click in the cell, I the entry in the cell is editable (the only thing saving me right now).

I have spent the last 2 days going over the options and can not find anything except the "edit directly in cells" option which has no effect. I do not like editing in the cell directly. With long equations, it is difficult to read.

Anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of this? I am borderline asking the IT folks to come down and reinstall Excel for me.

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
Sounds like it could be a protected spreadsheet? Does it happen with all spreadsheets, or just one in particular?

Here's some info:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/HP051998111033.aspx

It does sound peculiar - I can't say I've ever experienced that.

Hope this helps...

-Kerry
 
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  • #3
I think it may have something to do with a protected or shared worksheet, but I have tried all of those options as well and no dice. I bet that I worked in a shared or protected sheet at one time and the settings for that sheet have partially migrated over to my options. It is really weird.

Thanks for the help though.
 

1. Why are my entries not showing in the formula bar in Excel 2003?

There could be several reasons for this. One common reason is that the "Show Formulas" option is turned on. This can be toggled on or off by pressing the "Ctrl" and "`" keys at the same time. Another reason could be that the cell is formatted as text, which will not show formulas. Check the cell formatting and change it to "General" to see the formula in the formula bar.

2. How do I fix the issue of entries not appearing in the formula bar?

If the issue is caused by the "Show Formulas" option being turned on, simply pressing "Ctrl" and "`" together again will turn it off and show the entries in the formula bar. If the issue is due to cell formatting, change the cell formatting to "General" to see the entries in the formula bar.

3. Can I permanently show formulas in the formula bar?

Yes, you can. Go to the "Formulas" tab in the Excel ribbon and click on "Show Formulas" in the "Formula Auditing" section. This will permanently show formulas in the formula bar until you turn it off by clicking on "Show Formulas" again.

4. Why are some cells showing formulas and others are not in the formula bar?

This could be due to the "Show Formulas" option being turned on for some cells and off for others. Check the cells that are not showing formulas and press "Ctrl" and "`" together to turn on the "Show Formulas" option for those cells.

5. Is there a way to show both the entry and the formula in the formula bar?

Unfortunately, no. The formula bar can only show either the entry or the formula, not both at the same time. However, you can see both the entry and formula in the cell itself by selecting the cell and looking at the formula bar, or by using the "Formula Bar" function in the "Window" menu to split the view of the cell and formula bar.

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