My embedded formula's have changed in Excel

Question

Can someone let me know how I can revert to how the forumla's used to be viewed in excel. This is what I'm getting for a CountIF (attached). even a basic summing looks like this now =Sum(R[-2416]C:R[-1]C). Thanks

Answer 1

Hi, I am Dave, I will help you with this.

Open Excel.

Go to File - Options.

Click Formulas on the left.

Turn off the R1C1 Reference Style and save that setting.

Answer 2

Dear Sarah, 

Thank you for your message. From what you've described seeing formulas like =SUM(R[-2416]C:R[-1]C), it sounds like Excel has switched to using the R1C1 reference style, which is different from the standard A1 style you're likely more familiar with (e.g., =SUM(A1:A10)). 

Just to confirm, are you looking to revert Excel back to the A1-style formula display? 

If so, you can disable the R1C1 reference style by following these steps in the Excel desktop app on Windows: 

Step by step you can Turn Off R1C1 Reference Style in Excel (Windows) 

1. Open Excel.
2. Go to File > Options.

1. In the Excel Options window, select Formulas from the left-hand menu.
2. Under Working with formulas, uncheck the box labeled R1C1 reference style.

1. Click OK to save your changes.
2. Restart Excel to apply the new settings.

After restarting, your formulas should return to the standard A1 format. 

You can find more details in Microsoft’s official documentation here: Columns and rows are labeled numerically - Microsoft 365 Apps | Microsoft Learn 

I truly hope you understand that the initial steps I suggested may not have completely resolved the issue, as there might still be underlying causes, we haven't uncovered yet. Please know that I’m here with you every step of the way, ready to work together and do everything I can to help troubleshoot and find the best solution. 

Please feel free to let me know how it goes or if you need any further assistance. If the solution I suggested doesn't work on your machine, just let me know. I’ll be here to check and provide more options.  

If the information above is helpful, kindly mark it as an answer. This will also assist others in the community who may have similar questions about Outlook file complexity.  

Best regards, 

Sophie N - MSFT | Microsoft Community Support Specialist