ARCHIVED: Why does my spreadsheet show asterisks or pound signs in a cell instead of data?

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If your spreadsheet displays asterisks or pound signs in a cell instead of data, this is usually because the column is not wide enough to display the value you've entered. Lotus 1-2-3 displays asterisks (***) when a column is too narrow; Excel displays pound signs (###).

If you have set your spreadsheet application to display negative values in parentheses, or data in currency or percentage format, you will need to adjust the column width. The columns displaying this data should be several spaces wider than the data value with the most digits. Follow the appropriate steps below to change the column width.

Excel

Select the column heading containing the pound signs (###).
Within the heading area, place your mouse over the line on the right that delimits the column. Your cursor will become a double-sided arrow with a vertical line running through the center.
When you see this symbol, double-click your mouse. This will force Excel to increase the column width to fit any possible value in that column.

Lotus 1-2-3

In Lotus 1-2-3, use the command /WCS (Worksheet Column Set-width).