XL: How the Current Mode of Calculation Is Determined

• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows NT, version 5.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, all currently open documents use the same mode of calculation, regardless of the mode in which they have been saved.

MORE INFORMATION

To help explain how the mode of calculation is determined, this article refers to the following hypothetical documents:

                                      Saved with this
   File name      Type of document    mode of calculation
   ------------------------------------------------------

   Auto1.xls      Workbook            Automatic
   Manual1.xls    Workbook            Manual
   Auto2.xls      Workbook            Automatic

• The first document opened uses the calculation mode with which it was last saved. Subsequently-opened documents use the same mode.

  For example, if you open Auto1.xls and then open Manual1.xls, both documents will use automatic calculation (the mode used by Auto1.xls). If you open Manual1.xls and then open Auto1.xls, both documents will use manual calculation.

• Changing the calculation mode of one open document changes the mode for all open documents.

  If Auto1.xls and Auto2.xls are both open, changing the calculation mode of Auto2.xls to manual also changes the mode of Auto1.xls to manual.

• All sheets contained in a workbook use the same mode of calculation.

  If Auto2.xls contains three worksheets, changing the mode of calculation of the first worksheet to manual also changes the mode of calculation to manual in the other two sheets.

• If all other documents are closed and you create a new document, the new document uses the same calculation mode as the previously closed documents. However, if you use a template, the mode of calculation is the mode that is specified in the template.
• If the mode of calculation in a workbook has changed, and the file is saved, the current mode of calculation is saved.

  If Auto1.xls is opened, Manual1.xls is opened, and Manual1.xls is immediately saved, the mode of calculation is saved as Automatic.

Controlling the Mode of Calculation

All open documents use the same mode of calculation. You must follow special procedures to work with documents that use different calculation modes. For example, if you are working with Auto1.xls and you want to open Manual1.xls in manual calculation mode, do either of the following:

• Set Auto1.xls to manual calculation mode before you open Manual1.xls.

      -or-
  

• Close Auto1.xls (and any other open documents) before you open Manual1.xls.

MORE INFORMATION

There are four modes of calculation in Microsoft Excel: Automatic, Automatic Except Tables, Manual, and Recalculate Before Save.

   For this mode          Recalculation occurs when
   -------------------------------------------------------------------

   Automatic              You make any change to the document. All
                          affected parts of the document are
                          recalculated.

   Automatic              You make any change to the document. All
   except tables          affected parts of the document EXCEPT TABLES
                          are recalculated. A table is recalculated
                          only when a change is made to it.

   Manual                 You press the F9 key, click Options on the
                          Tools menu, click the Calculation tab, and
                          click the Calc Sheet button.

   Manual /               You press F9, or click Calc Sheet on the
     Recalculate before   Calculation tab on the Tools/Options menu, as
     Save                 well as every time you save the file.

Recalculate the Active Sheet

To recalculate only the active sheet, do either of the following:

• Press SHIFT+F9.

      -or-
  

• Click Options on the Tools menu and click the Calculation tab. Click the Calculate Sheet button to calculate only the active sheet (for all versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article).

Recalculate All Open Documents

To recalculate all open documents, do any of the following:

• Press F9 (all versions of Microsoft Excel listed in this article).

      -or-
  

• Click Options on the Tools menu, click the Calculation tab, and click the Calculate Now button (all versions of Microsoft Excel listed in this article).

      -or-
  

• Press COMMAND+= (Excel 98 Macintosh Edition only).

Changing the Mode of Calculation

1. Click Options or Preferences (Excel 98 Macintosh Edition) on the Tools menu. Click the Calculation tab.

2. Under Calculation in the dialog box, click the calculation mode you want to use (Automatic, Automatic Except Tables, Manual, or Recalculate Before Save).

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

For more information about changing modes of calculation, click the Index button in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

   calculating formulas, overview

Microsoft Excel 97

For more information about changing modes of calculation, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel 97 Help, type the following text

   calculation, overview

Microsoft Excel version 7.0

For more information about changing modes of calculation, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel 7.0 Help, type the following text

   calculation options

Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows and Macintosh

For more information about switching between manual and automatic calculation, click the Search button in Help, and type

   calculation, automatic

Microsoft Excel "User's Guide" version 5.0, pages 166-167