I have a simple spreadsheet in which I reference cells in another sheet in the same book -- essentially a list of names. I have run into a completely baffling problem. I reference a name in the list (=sheet_A!cellB:3) by typing ‘=’ then switching to the cell I want to reference and hitting enter. I then copy that cell to the one below. It picks up the next relative cell in the referenced sheet. However this is not the cell I want so I edit the formula to point to the desired cell. I’ve done this thousands of times over the years.
Now, suddenly all I get is the actual formula as text. I can copy the original formula to any cell in the target sheet and it displays the contents of the newly referenced relative cell but as soon as I attempt to edit the reference, it reverts back to a display of the formula as text. If I take that (edited) cell content and try to do a Save As….. it treats it as if it were text -- I don't get the normal Save As.... options of Value, Formula, etc. but rather Save As text, Unicode, etc. I can cu and paste into the fomula bar and the formula bar even shows the correct relative contents until I hit enter and it goes back to text display.
Also, as soon as I hit F2 to edit any cell with a similar formula and exit without doing anything else, it converts it to a text item and my undo says "Undo typing (it displays the formula!! as if I had typed it) in cell...."
I have tried all the options in Tools I can think of and protected and unprotected all cells an all worksheets just in case that had any relevance. No good.
I have no idea what is going on here. Any help would be appreciated
Now, suddenly all I get is the actual formula as text. I can copy the original formula to any cell in the target sheet and it displays the contents of the newly referenced relative cell but as soon as I attempt to edit the reference, it reverts back to a display of the formula as text. If I take that (edited) cell content and try to do a Save As….. it treats it as if it were text -- I don't get the normal Save As.... options of Value, Formula, etc. but rather Save As text, Unicode, etc. I can cu and paste into the fomula bar and the formula bar even shows the correct relative contents until I hit enter and it goes back to text display.
Also, as soon as I hit F2 to edit any cell with a similar formula and exit without doing anything else, it converts it to a text item and my undo says "Undo typing (it displays the formula!! as if I had typed it) in cell...."
I have tried all the options in Tools I can think of and protected and unprotected all cells an all worksheets just in case that had any relevance. No good.
I have no idea what is going on here. Any help would be appreciated