# Excel format question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-format-question/530873
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 1, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-format-question/530873 "2010-03-01T16:21:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-format-question/530873/1 "2010-03-01T16:21:38Z")
Occasionally I get a file whose account buckets appear to be blank. I format the cells as Numeric (two decimals, no commas), and then change all blanks to zeroes. It usually gives the desired result of zero-amounts being displayed as ‘0.00’. But sometimes there is no apparent change. Clicking on a cell reveals that there is a zero in it. That’s fine, but I want to see 0.00 in the cell. I solve this by copying the entire file and using Paste Special (as) Values into a new workbook. No biggie, but it’s annoying.
How do I tell Excel to display zeroes instead of nothing in numeric cells that only contain ‘0’?
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### Author:  [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-format-question/530873/2 "2010-03-01T16:39:57Z")
From Microsoft: [Microsoft Support](http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/hp051998791033.aspx)
1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the View tab.
2. Do one of the following:
\* To display zero (0) values in cells, select the Zero values check box.
\* To display zero values as blank cells, clear the check box.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [March 1, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-format-question/530873/3 "2010-03-01T16:48:25Z")
That worked.
Thanks.