Comments on: Microsoft: Excel 2007 bug is skin deep

A math problem in Excel 2007 crops up when presenting data, not when processing it, Microsoft says.

[news reader]

Bug is NOT only skin deep

The Microsoft blog was misleading. It's true that if you type "=850*77.1" into a cell, then the bug will only be in how it's displayed, but not how it's stored in memory. But if you type "=round(850*77.1)" into a cell, then the wrong value will actually, truly be in memory. It will propagate to other cells. It will affect sums and averages that you calculate. This bug is NOT only "skin deep".

[news reader]

Typo: =round(850*77.1,0)

One typo in that last comment: that should have been "=round(850*77.1,0)" to create a true incorrect value in memory.

[jds013]

Not problems

The bad value applies in most situations. Microsoft's disclaimer is ingenuous, and unfairly confuses a significant problem.

If you save your spreadsheet as a CSV, the wrong value of 100000 is written.

If you add a value to the incorrect number, the incorrect number is propagated.

The incorrect value is applied in SUMPRODUCT.

[MacHeads]

They Let balmer code these days?

Would explain some errors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZDVKLESNXg

[MacHeads]

On second thought

Nahhh ... can it be the software that has been used to estimate
vista's actual users ? Can it ? 65535=100000... a few more
copies "displayed as sold".

A repair is in testing now. "We've come up with a fix for this
issue and are in the final phases of a broad test pass in order to
ensure that the fix works and doesn't introduce any additional
issues--especially any other calculation issues," Gainer said.
"This fix then needs to make its way through our official build
lab and onto a download site--which we expect to happen very
soon."

If this would not be a grave matter of concern it would be funny.
A spreadsheet program you can't trust to do operations properly
is not one worth considering using.

[Schpeyeder]

FYI: Only for * and /

This bug is present when using multiplication and division on the cell value. If you add or subtract the values, you will see the correct result. Strange bug though...

[ColdMast]

my old calculator can handle the number just fine?

I wonder what other problems will crop up with EXCEL 2007?

[R-Green]

About old calculators (did you check?)

Reminds me of the time in the late 60s when we were busy making chipsets for a small Japanese company whose name has since changed and who has become a major company. After shipping a lot, I accidently found that doing calculations like 66666*77777/66666 would give results such as 5345.533. Oops. Threw away a bunch of silicon and the calculator company was not so happy. If your calculator is really old, you might want to check.
Anonymously,
Bob

[lcminc]

It definitely more serious than formatting

Try the following vertical summation of these numbers.
2874
226345
153387
2285575
equals 2670188 instead of
2668181
I have no confidence in their products.

[gp2792]

uh no it doesn't

nice try, though.

[nick fortis]

Example at end of Excel Bug report

2.6^10*2 is **NOT** 260; I believe this is (2.6^10)*2 (which is
closer to 28233.419130676)

Perhaps one meant 2.6*(10^2) 2.6 times 10-squared = 2.6
times 100 = 260.

Furthermore, Floating point representations are possibly best
thought of as numbers expressed as a variant of Scientific
Notation.

E.g. The above: 2.823341913E+04

Nick F. 10.10.07

[lcminc]

Excel 2007 can not add correctly.

I have download the bug patch for the previously discussed problem with 850*77.1 =100000 and have found another bug that is more distrubing. Try adding the following numbers with a vertical sum 3277+ 240550 + 166937 + 2392356 = 2805127 instead of 2803120 . Any help would be appreciated

Logan McDonald

[artwolf]

Not for me

worked fine for me

[jlschuck]

Here's a bug that isn't skin deep:

"Charts on dialog sheets: Charts are not allowed on dialog sheets. It was not possible to implement this feature for the 2007 Office system."

Excel 2007 has less capability than the older version. My expensive EXCEL base software can't run in the newest, lastest, and not so greatest version of excel. What a rip off. Yes I did read the box and researched the web before I bought the software. They should have to tell people when the water down the software and then try to pass it off as an "upgrade". 2007 is all fluff and pretty graphics and nothing else. save your money.