Decimal point or trailing zeros unexpectedly appear in number in Excel (305567)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Office Excel 2003
- Microsoft Excel 2002
- Microsoft Excel 2000
- Microsoft Excel 2004 for Mac
- Microsoft Excel X for Mac
- Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac
- Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
This article was previously published under Q305567 SYMPTOMS In Microsoft Excel, when you type a number into a cell, a
decimal point or trailing zeros may be automatically placed in the number. For
example, when you type 2158, the number may be displayed
as 21.58 in the cell.CAUSE This behavior occurs if the Fixed decimal
option is turned on. When the Fixed decimal option is turned
on, Excel automatically places a decimal point in the numbers that you enter,
based on the number of decimal places defined in the Places box.RESOLUTION To resolve this behavior, turn off the Fixed
decimal option. To do this, follow the steps appropriate to your
version of Excel. If you are running Microsoft Excel 2000, Microsoft Excel 2002, or Microsoft Office Excel 2003, follow these steps:
- Start Excel, and then open your workbook.
- On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Edit tab.
- Click to clear the Fixed decimal check
box, and then click OK.
If you are running Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition, Microsoft Excel 2001 for Mac, Microsoft Excel X for Mac, or Microsoft Excel 2004 for Mac, follow these steps:
- Start Excel, and then open your workbook.
- On the Edit menu or on the Tools menu, click Preferences, and then click the Edit tab.
- Click to clear the Fixed decimal check
box, and then click OK.
MORE INFORMATION Turn on the Fixed decimal option when you
want to enter numbers with a fixed number of decimal places or trailing zeros.
To do this, click to select the Fixed decimal check box. Then,
in the Places box, type a positive value for the number of digits that you want
to appear to the right of the decimal point. Or, type a negative value for the
number of digits that you want to appear to the left of the decimal point. For
example, if you type 2 in the Places box, and then type 2158 in the cell, the
number is displayed as 21.58. If you type -2 in the Places box, and then type 2158 in the cell, the
number is displayed as 215800.
Note To override this option, manually type a decimal point when you
type the number.
| Modification Type: | Minor | Last Reviewed: | 1/7/2006 |
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| Keywords: | kbprb KB305567 |
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