Excel Formula Error Diagnosis From a Pasted Formula and Message
Find out why a formula fails and fix it safely.
The Open buttons send the prompt text as currently shown below to that site only when you click. Fill in the placeholders first.
[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Diagnose this Excel formula problem. The formula exactly as written: [FORMULA]. The error or wrong result I see: [ERROR_OR_RESULT]. What each cell referenced contains, with sample values and data types if known: [CELL_CONTENTS]. What the formula is supposed to do: [INTENDED_RESULT]. My version of Excel, if I know it: [EXCEL_VERSION]. First explain in plain words what the formula does step by step. Then rank the likely causes, covering numbers stored as text, extra spaces, a lookup value that does not match exactly, a range too short or not locked with dollar signs, a reference to a deleted cell (#REF!), a misspelled function (#NAME?), a blocked array or spill, a circular reference, and calculation set to manual. For each cause give a quick test I can run in a spare cell and the corrected formula with an explanation. Never change my intended logic without saying so; if two fixes are possible, show both with the trade-off. Mark version-dependent functions [VERIFY]. Output: (1) plain-language reading, (2) ranked causes with tests, (3) corrected formula, (4) how to check the fix by hand on three rows. If I did not give enough information, ask for exactly what is missing.
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