h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

it works if I enter the formula etc before putting anything in the cells, but if I want to copy the cells over it ignores the format.

But I can't imagine I'll ever need it again...

So you want to send me the file and I'll take a look.

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That was supposed to be 'DO you want to...'

I'm not that authoritarian.

B

Liar

oh I was liking Authoritarian MB...

it's ok, thanks, we checked the IBAN numbers - anything else is just me messing around because I'm underemployed.

New Excel problem for you:

I have a spreadsheet which contains formulae. I want to create a spreadsheet which displays ONLY the results of those formulae, but does not reveal the actual calculations. Is this possible?

TIA.

Try a copy and paste, make sure you select the 'paste values' option.

Or use two sheets in the same workbook; one has the formulae for calculations, the other shows the value of the cell from the other page. Just a reference formula, but not the actual calculation.

But if I want to send the result page to someone, without them being able to see the formulae....

Then use the copy and paste method, pasting to a new workbook, values only. Ideally, you'll want to paste the formatting as well if you adjusted column widths (for example) in the original workbook.

Having thought about this a bit more, this should be a very simple way to do this...

Do as 'Save As' and save the workbook/worksheet under a new name. The original file remains intact.

Then, select and copy the range of cells in the new worksheet containing formulas.

Next paste (with the values only option) right over the original selection.

Ooh, hello. What happens around here, then?

^^That only works if the person you are sending to doesn't need to change any of the source values, which defeats the object of a spreadsheet.^^

What you actually need to do is Format Cells -> Protection and tick 'Locked' and 'Hidden'. Then you need to protect the sheet from the 'Review' menu.

**disappears for another few years**

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