Displaying Zeros

by Allen Wyatt
(last updated November 2, 2013)

By default, Excel displays your information pretty much as you enter it. This includes zero values. If you enter a zero, the zero shows on the worksheet. If you don't enter a value in a cell, then Excel shows a blank in that area. If the result of a formula is zero, then that result typically shows, as well. There may be times, however, when you don't want zero values to show. To control the display of zero values, follow these steps:
  1. Choose Options from the Tools menu. Excel displays the Options dialog box.
  2. Make sure the View tab is selected. (See Figure 1.)

    3. Figure 1. The View tab of the Options dialog box.

  3. In the Window Options area, note the Zero Values check box. If it is selected, then zero values are displayed. If it is cleared, then zero values are not displayed.
  4. Click on OK.
You should note that the setting of the Zero Values check box affects not just what you see on the screen, but how information is printed by Excel, as well.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2629) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He  is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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