Excel Strikethrough Format Appearing

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In the image below a simple formula in cell C3 has been copied across and down to calculate inflated costs.

Calculation has been set to Manual – as per image below.

This means the formula won’t update if an input value changes.

When I change the value in cell B3 we see the strikethrough format applied.

This is meant to warn you that the values are not correct.

Pressing the F9 function key will trigger a calculation and remove the strikethrough format.

Changing the Calculation setting back to Automatic will stop the strikethrough from appearing again.

Note it might appear briefly if you have a large and slow calculating file.

Stale Values Formatting

The strikethrough format is controlled by the Format Stale Values option in the image below.

A Stale Value is one that needs to be updated due to a change on the sheet.

You can turn off the Stale Value Format by selecting Format Stale Values in the drop down.

You should leave the Format Stale Format option turned on to automatically warn you when calculation is set to Manual or Partial.

Generally, you should always use the Automatic calculation option.

Sometimes a file you open may have been set to Manual calculation before it was last saved. Opening such a file will change your setting to Manual. Having a visual warning of Manual calculation is helpful.