adding columns of numbers

[glenis]

i 'm having a senior moment !! i've forgotten how to do it .can anyone refresh my memory?

[Ethel]

You mean in a spreadsheet?

Usually,

SUM=(A2:A17)

*of course put the correct figures within the brackets*

[Ethel]

Silly me!

It should be

=SUM(A2:A17)

[glenis]

sorry i still have total memory loss ,i've done that and still no total ,all i get in the cell is =sum(A2:A17) but no total. i have microsoft excel with autosum ,i click the autosum on the toolbar which then prompts me for the cell numbers ,which i then type in ,then click autosum again and i get a total of 0 i know i am doing something really silly but can't figure out what it is

[Ethel]

How very odd!

Check again - are the cell values within the brackets absolutely correct?

Is your formula (=sum ) in an empty cell below the values?

[glenis]

i have checked all those things and still no total so i will revert back to adding them up on an adding machine ,thanks anyway

[Yorky Lass]

When using autosum are you highlighting the cells first? Eg highlighting A1 down to A18 (using Ethel's example) thats one row below the actual cells to be added, then clicking autosum.

[glenis]

i've highlighted the rows A2 to A18 as yorky lass suggests,then i click on autosum ,which then prompts me to type in cell numbers ,i do, then press autosum again and the whole column fills up with =SUM(A2:A18) in every cell ,and not a total in sight

[Yorky Lass]

If the numbers to be added are there already you shouldn't be asked to type a cell number when using autosum, sorry I presumed the figures had been input .
Ethels method should definitely work if you are setting up a spreadsheet for inputting details later.
You could try putting just one row of figures in as an experiment and trying autosum in the method I suggested. Other than that I'm lost I'm afraid, sorry.

[curtis21]

Hi Glenis.
Just a thought - have you entered "O" (letter) instead of "0" (number).

[camioneur]

Not everyone knows that Excel has a built in calculator. click any cell, drag over any others you want adding to it and look in the bottom right hand corner of your toolbar