Excel 2016 For Dummies
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When entering data into Excel 2016, if you find that you need to enter a whole slew of numbers that use the same number of decimal places, you can turn on Excel's Fixed Decimal setting and have the program enter the decimals for you. This feature really comes in handy when you have to enter hundreds of financial figures that all use two decimal places (for example, for the number of cents).

To fix the number of decimal places in a numeric entry, follow these steps:

  1. Choose File→Options→Advanced or press Alt+FTA.

    The Advanced tab of the Excel Options dialog box opens.

  2. Select the Automatically Insert a Decimal Point check box in the Editing Options section to fill it with a check mark.

    By default, Excel fixes the decimal place two places to the left of the last number you type. To change the default Places setting, go to Step 3; otherwise move to Step 4.

  3. (Optional) Select or enter a new number in the Places text box or use the spinner buttons to change the value.

    For example, you could change the Places setting to 3 to enter numbers with the following decimal placement: 00.000.

  4. Click OK or press Enter.

    Excel displays the Fixed Decimal status indicator on the Status bar to let you know that the Fixed Decimal feature is now active.

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Greg Harvey, PhD is the President of Mind Over Media. Greg wrote his first computer book more than twenty years ago and since that time, he has amassed a long list of bestselling titles including Excel All-In-One For Dummies (all editions) and Excel Workbook For Dummies (all editions).

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