The numbers insert math function is not working properly. Irregularly gives incorrect sums. Thought I was accidentally clicking Average, so I'm very careful where my cursor is pointed. It doesn't help. I can attempt to total a column of numbers and the sum will show a random total, like 5. Can this be fixed?
MacBook Air 13″, macOS 12.6
If you are referring to the menu item Insert/Formula/Sum, you need to select the cells to be summed before using this menu item. If you do not do that first, it will attempt to figure out on its own what cells you want to sum.
If you have selected the correct cells but the sum is still incorrect, the problem is usually that the "numbers" in the cells being summed are text, not actual numbers. SUM ignores cells that have text in them, even if the text is numeric. Formatting the cells as Number might fix that problem, unless the text "numbers" have something wrong with them.
If you are referring to the menu item Insert/Formula/Sum, you need to select the cells to be summed before using this menu item. If you do not do that first, it will attempt to figure out on its own what cells you want to sum.
If you have selected the correct cells but the sum is still incorrect, the problem is usually that the "numbers" in the cells being summed are text, not actual numbers. SUM ignores cells that have text in them, even if the text is numeric. Formatting the cells as Number might fix that problem, unless the text "numbers" have something wrong with them.
When you click on the cell that gets the SUM function in it, is it referring to all the cells you selected or are some missing or different than what you selected?
As a side point, have you tried dragging the SUM function up from the bottom of the window instead of using the Insert menu? A list of functions will appear after you have selected a cell, SUM being one of the defaults.
What about the SUM "button" at the bottom of the window? Does it give the correct result?
Does this happen in all documents or any others just this one?
Thank you for response. I always select the cells I’m trying to calculate. It’s been working fine until a few months ago. Sometimes, I have to select the same cells multiple times before it calculates correctly. Sometimes, the incorrect answers never change. I have to use a calculator to add the cells or verify the totals.
99% of the time, I have currency selected and there is no text involved. Will taking my computer to Apple be helpful, since Numbers and Pages came with the computer? Thank you so much your efforts in trying to help me figure this out.
In all honesty, I never thought to compare the totals. I was so busy trying to figure out why the answer was nonsensical. Adding 20 amounts of money should not result in a solution of 3, which isn't even shown as currency.
In the future, I will verify the sums shown in the document and at the bottom of the page. I believe it would be easier to get a handle on the problem if it occurred each time, but it's very inconsistent. It may work with no errors for weeks at a time, then become problematic again.
On Monday, using the same spreadsheet I'd been using for about 3 days, I, suddenly, could not copy and paste info into the document. When I decided to manually type it in, no keystrokes would appear in the cell. Gave up and restarted the computer twice at different intervals the next day. Opened a new blank document, with the same result. Later in the day, I restarted and opened a new document and I could use it. It's crazy-making.
All of the cells are correct.
Numbers insert math function is not working properly.
