# Solved: why do numbers show up as 6.34479E+11 in Excel. ???



## tjamnz (Jun 15, 2004)

Hello,

I was wondering why numbers show up that way and what it generally means.

I can double click each cell in the column and it will show the real number i need, such as:

634479009815

Is there a way to convert the whole row, so the numbers will show normally.

_this should be just a general format.. this is just a generic id, and not currency or any other special format._

Thanks.

I use excel 03/07 both.


----------



## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Click on the column header at the top IE A,B,C and right-click on it. Select "Format Cells" and "General" as the format.


----------



## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Hi there,

Generally it is because the column is too thin for the data to show correctly or a standard number format is not specified - or even that scientific notation is specified. Excel is only precise to 15 digits. I would recommend formatting as Number.

HTH


----------



## jimr381 (Jul 20, 2007)

Firefytr was it you whom posted that formatting it as text is a work around for the 15 character limit? I read a post yesterday or the other day to that extent. I apologize I meant number in my first post and not general.


----------



## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Don't know if that was me or not, possibly, but it is a workaround.


----------



## tjamnz (Jun 15, 2004)

thanks... i extended the column width.. it still remained the same...

also.. general format was selected by default, so i tried number...

by defualt "number" appended a ".00" to the end.

thanks.


----------



## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Number format should have changed it for you, unless it is text. You can change the ".00"-type format if you like; the default is two decimal places. If this is possibly text, lengthen out your column slightly so you can see which direction the cell value is default aligned to. If - assuming you have changed nothing for this cell - text, it will be left-aligned, whereas if numeric, it will be right-aligned.

HTH


----------

