Correct a ##### error - Excel - Microsoft Office Online

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Correct a ##### error

Applies to: Microsoft Office Excel 2003

Occurs when a column is not wide enough, or a negative date or time is used.

Review the possible causes and solutions.

Possible causes and solutions

Show Column is not wide enough to display the content

Increase the width of the column Select the column, point to Column on the Format menu, click Width, and then enter a number.

Shrink the contents to fit the column Select the column, then on the Format menu, click Cells, click the Alignment tab, and then select the Shrink to fit check box.

Apply a different number format In some cases, you can change the cell's number format to make the number fit within the existing cell width. For example, decrease the number of decimal places after the decimal point.

Show Dates and times are negative numbers

If you are using the 1900 date system, dates and times in Microsoft Excel must be positive values.
When you subtract dates and times, make sure you build the formula correctly.
If the formula is correct, although the result is a negative value, you can display the value by formatting the cell with a format that is not a date or time format. Click Cells on the Format menu, click the Number tab, and then select a format that is not a date or time format.