# Increase Excel precision



## plejon (Jul 26, 2001)

Is it possible to increase the precision Excel uses for calculations ?

I found this: http://digilander.libero.it/foxes/index.htm

I'm looking for an alternative, as I prefer not to install extra software.


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

Might help if you explained the desired result....


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## plejon (Jul 26, 2001)

looking for a way to store long numbers without going to scientific notation (1.2345E15)

I like to keep them as a number, not convert them to a text string


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Sure, use Custom Formatting. Right click cell -> Format Cell.. -> Number (tab) -> Custom, enter something like "0000000000000000" (w/o quotes) or however many digits you want to show. Substitute the # sign for anything you want to show only if that digit is available (the number reaches that many digits). HTH


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

That's text, then, Zack. He said he doesn't want a string...

To my knowledge: no can do.


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## Anne Troy (Feb 14, 1999)

Sorry. I think what it actually is...you still can't get beyond the 15-character limit, right? Even with the 0000.... formatting.

But again, to my knowledge, no can do.


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Sure it can be a number. Attached is an example of such. The two test cells have a 25 character limit set on them w/ set zeros. To test, the ISNUMBER function was used on them, returning TRUE. The second number is a calculation from the first resulting in a number also. 

HTH


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## plejon (Jul 26, 2001)

Thanks for the suggestion firefytr, but this doesn't really solve my problem.

The company I'm working with has created years ago these long unique identifiers for their IT equipment. It's a complex code including a number for the type of equipment (pc, printer, laptop, ...), the manufacturer, check digits, etc.

The number of my PC is 5360112143071401. When I enter this in a numeric field, even with a custom "0000000000000000" mask, I lose precision at the end. Excel displays 5360112143071410 (the last two digits change to 10 instead of 01)


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## plejon (Jul 26, 2001)

Quite frankly, I don't suppose it is possible to increase the precision. Precision is probably limited by the precision of the data type in whatever compiler excel was written in. 

Somebody told me that you could increase the precision, but he didn't know how. "something to do with DDE" was all he remembered.


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## AlbertBowman (Aug 13, 2004)

Format the cell as 'TEXT' instead of a number. I encountered the same problem with long number strings in the military. It will still sort if you need it to. Hope this info helps.


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Well, the Custom Format method will just not _display_ past 15 characters of numerics. You can do the textual bit, or even split the number in half in two cells if you'd like, kind of like credit card numbers, etc.

You will still have the ability to perform calculations on the number (w/ that Custom type format) it will just not show.


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## AlbertBowman (Aug 13, 2004)

Try this: start your number string with a ` Its the key at the extreme upper left of the keyboard - to the left of '1' and above 'TAB'. I tried it with a 20-number string and it worked.


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## plejon (Jul 26, 2001)

I found this explanation on the Microsoft site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;78113

Bottom line is : "the IEEE specification of stores only 15 significant digits of precision."


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