Microsoft KB Archive/105411

= Financial or Accounting AutoFormats Change Number Formats =

Article ID: 105411

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 98 for Macintosh

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This article was previously published under Q105411



SUMMARY
In Microsoft Excel, the AutoFormat command will not change the number format of selected cells unless you choose an Accounting or Financial built-in format.



MORE INFORMATION
While most of the built-in formats change attributes such as cell shading, borders, and fonts, some built-in formats change the number format. The built-in formats that change number formats are the three financial formats (Microsoft Excel version 4.0) and the accounting formats (Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0).

This behavior is by design.

The AutoFormat tool in Microsoft Excel provides a fast and efficient way to apply built-in formats. Using AutoFormat can make your worksheet more readable and more professional looking by changing the alignments, borders, fonts, patterns, and shading of selected cells.

Steps to Reproduce Problem
  In a new worksheet, enter the following values:

   A1: Widget Sales  B1: Southeast    C1: Midwest      D1: Pacific A2: Type A       B2: 200          C2: 50           D2: 350 A3: Type B       B3: 300          C3: 400          D3: 0 A4: Type C       B4: 150          C4: 200          D4: 175 A5: TOTALS       B5: =SUM(B2:B4)  C5: =SUM(C2:C4)  D5: =SUM(D2:D4)  Select cells A1:D5. On the Format menu, click AutoFormat. In the list of formats, select Accounting 1 (versions 5.0 and later) or Financial 1 (version 4.0). Then, click OK.

NOTE: The change in number formats of the cells in rows 2 and 5. On the Format menu, again click AutoFormat. In the list of formats, select Classic 2. Click OK.</li></ol>

The numbers in rows 2 and 5 are still in the currency format.

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