Excel 2013 - problems readind formulas created with new Excel files

Hello All,
I ask your support on this issue:
I often open excel files sent by cistomers/suppliers, etc... with formulas.
When I open those in my Excel 2013 the formulas are not working, and instead are wrapped by curly brackets {formula}
the formula is still there, but I have to go cell by cell, click F2+Enter and the formula automaticcaly delete brackets.
But with several tabs, and thousand of references it is impossible to make the file work.

Investigating on Google I found the issue could be related to new Excel suite incorporated Dynamyc Arrays, thus Excel 2013 is not reading formulas correctly.

Any Idea how to make excel 2013 read, or convert or correct?

Thanks a lot

Here is a list of three other forums where you could post your question as well.
Excel: The Best Forums to Ask Questions

You could also try LibreOffice, it’s free and it might just be able to read the subject formulas.

SoFine409 said:

Here is a list of three other forums where you could post your question as well.
Excel: The Best Forums to Ask Questions

You could also try LibreOffice, it’s free and it might just be able to read the subject formulas.

Thanks I'll give it a try and post solution if we find it

I can see two major issues and you need to consider them both.

1 Your suppliers etc are using array formulas. By deleting the {} you are altering their formulas [you are making them non-array] and are thereby altering the results.

- You can learn about array formulas in your Excel Help - search for Guidelines and examples of array formulas

2 Your suppliers etc might be using later Versions of Excel and might therefore be using Functions that you do not have or that behave differently in your Version.

- When you review the non-working spreadsheets, look out for the Functions that are used and look them up in your own Excel Help.

- This guide contains some worthwhile information on up-to-date Functions - Excel functions (alphabetical) - OfficeSupport
- Compare what is in your Excel Help to what is in the OfficeSupport guide to see if your Excel is doing the same thing with a Function that an up-to-date Excel Version is doing.

Even if your current problem turns out to be just a misunderstanding of arrays, I suggest that you cannot predict what other up-to-date Functions your suppliers etc will use in the future so your only viable policy is to upgrade to a current Version of Excel if you need to work with workbooks sent by other people.

Best of luck
Denis

Try3 said:

I can see two major issues and you need to consider them both.

1 Your suppliers etc are using array formulas. By deleting the {} you are altering their formulas [you are making them non-array] and are thereby altering the results.

- You can learn about array formulas in your Excel Help - search for Guidelines and examples of array formulas

2 Your suppliers etc might be using later Versions of Excel and might therefore be using Functions that you do not have or that behave differently in your Version.

- When you review the non-working spreadsheets, look out for the Functions that are used and look them up in your own Excel Help.

- This guide contains some worthwhile information on up-to-date Functions - Excel functions (alphabetical) - OfficeSupport
- Compare what is in your Excel Help to what is in the OfficeSupport guide to see if your Excel is doing the same thing with a Function that an up-to-date Excel Version is doing.

Even if your current problem turns out to be just a misunderstanding of arrays, I suggest that you cannot predict what other up-to-date Functions your suppliers etc will use in the future so your only viable policy is to upgrade to a current Version of Excel if you need to work with workbooks sent by other people.

Best of luck
Denis

Thanks for your support
I tried to check any up-to-date Function in the file, but it is very articulated (multiple tabs, and cross tab formulas). So I cannot understand.

Isn't htere anyway to translate the file into a compatible Excel 2013 version?
Thanks

PowerDrome said:

Isn't htere anyway to translate the file into a compatible Excel 2013 version?

There should not be anything incompatible unless they have used later Functions. The file format is the same.

I don't know of any tool that can read through to find & alter Functions for you [assuming there are Excel 2013 equivalents for any later Functions that are used].

Try3 said:

… so your only viable policy is to upgrade to a current Version of Excel if you need to work with workbooks sent by other people.

Denis