really basic Excel question

HOLsale

i'm trying to get my ebay info into an excel document so i can figure out my costs and profits/losses for my taxes (happy to share the document when i've tweaked it if anyone wants it)

i've altered a yearly accounts file that a friend kindly sent me for excel so that it fits my needs BUT now only 2 columns are adding up because i had to add more columns and move stuff

can someone please tell me (step by step) how to make my other columns add themselves up as well? it's a bit trick trying to add so many up and since this is for my taxes i can't get it wrong!

i'm a complete novice to actually making forms on excel, i only know how to do the very basics i'm afraid ;-(

your help very much appreciated

susiesue_2

not too clever on excel but here goes, hi-lite the coloumn you want, then click on autosum it should then add it self up. if you change any figures it should do it automaticaly. if it goes to plan.!!!

HOLsale

thanks for that but WHERE do i find autosum?

it doesn't come up when i right click and i can't seem to find it under any of the choices in the menu

i did try the insert menu but when i selected subtotal (no sum or autosum choice) it puts 'subtotal (())' in and wants me to put in some kind of equation :eek:

shopbot

It sounds like you have lots of columns where some are added up at the bottom and some are not. What you can do is highlight the 'total' box of a column which is added up then right click and select copy. Then highlight the equivalent place in the next column and right click and select paste.

I hope that makes sense, if I have misunderstood your problem then please post again!

apprentice_tycoon

there might be an autosum symbol, it looks a bit like a Greek kind of E

HOLsale

shopbot wrote:

It sounds like you have lots of columns where some are added up at the bottom and some are not. What you can do is highlight the 'total' box of a column which is added up then right click and select copy. Then highlight the equivalent place in the next column and right click and select paste.

I hope that makes sense, if I have misunderstood your problem then please post again!

THANKYOU!!!

i could just kiss you right now, i've been trying off and on for days to figure it out and that fixed it so easily... course i'll have to learn how to do it from scratch for future documents but hey it worked for this right now and that's made me a happy bunny (and saved both my eyesight and last shreds of my sanity in one fell swoop!) :T :beer:

HOLsale

apprentice_tycoon wrote:

there might be an autosum symbol, it looks a bit like a Greek kind of E

ooh that worked when i highlighted the column then clicked it!

cheers AT now i know how to do it retrospectively if i haven't added it into the 'equation' of a form from scratch and don't already have some totals adding themselves up already to be copied!

you all are so helpful :T :beer:

thanks!

Pauls

Sounds like you've tried to copy and paste, rather than using 'insert column' or 'insert row' from the menus.

I'll try to explain.........

If cell A3 contains the formula [=A1+A2] and you copy the formula into cell A4, your formula will become [=A2+A3], which is not what you want. On the other hand, if you insert a column your formula will remain [=A1+A2]

If you've still got a copy of the original spreadsheet, it is probably worth starting again, otherwise you'll be up all night editing formulas!

HTH

Poppy9

If you are stuck on Excel (or word) click on help and type in what you want help with. i.e in this case put in Total or Autosum and it will show you how to do it.

It's worth keeping things like autosum, column insert/delete etc on your toolbar. Play about on a blank sheet customising your toolbar and it will make using excel quicker and easier.

shopbot

Glad I could help!

If you need to do the same thing for lots of columns then you do the same method of copying but instead of highlighting one cell you can highlight all of the ones you need to do. You do this by highlighting one of the cells you want to paste into then hold down the left button and drag the pointer over all of the cells you want to paste into. Once they are all highlighted you can right click and paste.

HOLsale

Pauls wrote:

Sounds like you've tried to copy and paste, rather than using 'insert column' or 'insert row' from the menus.

I'll try to explain.........

If cell A3 contains the formula [=A1+A2] and you copy the formula into cell A4, your formula will become [=A2+A3], which is not what you want. On the other hand, if you insert a column your formula will remain [=A1+A2]

If you've still got a copy of the original spreadsheet, it is probably worth starting again, otherwise you'll be up all night editing formulas!

HTH

not sure i follow you so i went back to all the ones where i'd copied and pasted

i took a short column and added it up and i got the same amount as was in the box. then i cleared the amount out and put in =sum(g5:g18) and it came up as the original total and what i'd added it up to be

tried this on three more columns and they all check out