I'm trying to copy a formula from one sheet to another in Excel, using the Edit--Copy and Edit--Paste commands. But when I do this, I get #REF instead of a number. What am I doing wrong?
- R Roark
The problem you describe occurs in any spreadsheet because the copy you've made refers to an impossible cell address.
Let's say that cell A11 contains a formula that adds up numbers above it: =sum(A1:A10). You copy the formula and paste it into cell A21, and the new formula correctly reads =sum(A11:A20). The cell references have shifted so that they stay relative to the new formula's location. But if you copy the formula into A5, the result is #REF, because the new formula refers to cells located off the top of the sheet.
To fix your workbook, double-check those formulas and adjust the layout of your data. Good luck!
- Richard Scoville
|
Category: Spreadsheet
Issue: Sep 1997
Pages: 167
|
Copying formulas - oops