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Cannot enter a command in Excel

Anonymous
2013-01-27T11:02:10+00:00

I had recently upgraded Office 2007 with Office 2010. My operating system is Windows 7 64-bit. I cannot enter '=COUNTIF(range, criteria)' (Without the quotes).

It stated, "The formula you typed contains an error.

  • For information about fixing common formula problems, click Help.
  • To get assistance in entering a function, click Function Wizard (Formula tab, Function Library group).
  • If you are not trying to enter a formula, avoid using an equal sign (=) or minus sign (-), or precede it with a single quotation mark (')."

Or it will say, "You've entered too few arguments for this function.

To get help with this function, click OK to close this message.Then click the Insert Function button located to the left of the equal sign in your formula."

I tried this formula in my school and it works. My school also uses Office 2010.

Any help for this?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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HansV 462.6K Reputation points
2013-02-03T11:05:56+00:00

If your system uses comma as list separator, the formula should work (assuming that you didn't include the " in front of the formula).

If it doesn't work, the only explanation I can think of is that your system uses another character as list separator, or that Excel has been set to use different separators than your system.

Check the following:

  1. In Excel:

Select File > Options.

Click Advanced in the navigation pane on the left hand side.

In the Editing options section, make sure that the check box 'Use system separators' has been ticked.

Click OK.

If this doesn't help:

  1. In Windows:

Select Start > Control Panel.

Click 'Change the display language' under 'Clock, Language and Region'.

Check that the correct language is selected.

If so, click Additional settings...

Note the character specified in the List separator box. This is the one to use in the formula.

You can change the character here if you wish.

Click OK when done.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-02-03T02:53:32+00:00

    Sorry for the delay. My formula is "=COUNTIF(C2:C41,">60")

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  2. HansV 462.6K Reputation points
    2013-01-29T11:05:02+00:00

    Can you post the exact formula that you tried to enter? Thanks in advance.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-01-29T10:43:09+00:00

    No. It does not work.

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  4. HansV 462.6K Reputation points
    2013-01-27T11:09:14+00:00

    Does your system happen to use comma as decimal separator and semi-colon as list separator? If so, you should use

    =COUNTIF(range ; criteria)

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