# Excel question: A1 to $A$1

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-a1-to-a-1/333520>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 1, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-a1-to-a-1/333520 "2005-12-01T05:03:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Larkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Larkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larkin)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-a1-to-a-1/333520/1 "2005-12-01T05:03:16Z")

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A quick Excel question:

I know how to change the reference in a cell from e.g. A1 to $A$1 (highlight and press F4); my question is, how do I change the references for several cells at once?

For example, my cells look like this:

```auto

 _____________  ______
|=A1 |=A2 |=A3 |
 ------ ------- ------

```

and I want to make them look like this:

```auto

 _____________  ______
|=$A$1 |=$A$2 |=$A$3 |
 ------ ------- ------

```

all at once. Does anyone know a way to make that change without changing each cell individually?

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**Author:** ![Just](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4af34b/32.png) [@Just](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-a1-to-a-1/333520/2 "2005-12-01T05:14:37Z")

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I think you’d need to use a VB script for this - a quick google brought up [this page](http://www.ozgrid.com/VBA/formula-ref-change.htm).

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**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-a1-to-a-1/333520/3 "2005-12-01T05:29:33Z")

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There isn’t an easy way to this completely automatically unless you can guarantee that there aren’t A’s displayed in your cells rather than just in the formulas. However there is a quick way to do it anyway. You need highlight the cells you want to do a replace on. Do a Search and Replace through the Edit menu as A the top and replace as A. Use Find All or Find Next (preferred) to locate cells that you want to make the change in. Click Replace when you find the right cells. Find Next and repeat.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Larkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@Larkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larkin)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-question-a1-to-a-1/333520/4 "2005-12-01T05:29:38Z")

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> [@Just](#):
>
> I think you’d need to use a VB script for this - a quick google brought up [this page](http://www.ozgrid.com/VBA/formula-ref-change.htm).

Thanks for the link. I’d hoped there would be an easy function to do it in Excel, but if people are writing code I guess there’s no easy way.