Troubleshooting

Excel errors, explained.

Every error code tells you something specific. Here’s what each one means and how to fix it.

• #N/A“Not available”: a lookup couldn’t find what you asked for.
• #VALUE!A formula got the wrong kind of data, usually text where it needed a number.
• #REF!The formula points at a cell that no longer exists.
• #DIV/0!A formula tried to divide by zero or by an empty cell.
• #NAME?Excel doesn’t recognise a word in the formula.
• #SPILL!A formula that returns several results has no room to spill into.
• #NUM!The math is impossible or a number is out of range.