Status Bar Summing No Longer Available In Excel

Have you been struggling with manually adding your numerical data in Excel? Don’t worry, this article will guide you through a time-saving Excel feature – Status Bar Summing – that can help you quickly sum up data in your worksheet.

Understanding Status Bar Summing

Ever tried the Status Bar in Excel to quickly add a column or row of numbers? Sad news, this feature is no longer there. But don’t worry, we will explain what this feature is and how it worked. First, we’ll define Status Bar Summing. Then, we’ll go into the details on how it worked in Excel. If you liked using this handy tool, keep reading and learn more about it!

Image credits: pixelatedworks.com by Yuval Arnold

Defining Status Bar Summing

Microsoft removed Status Bar Summing from its newer versions, like Microsoft 365, which caused some backlash. But users can still use the function in older versions or with VBA code. Plus, they can add a custom sum button to the quick access toolbar in newer versions.

Now, let’s explain how Status Bar Summing works. It allows users to do functions like averaging, counting, and finding min/max values. This saves time and effort when analyzing large datasets.

Explaining How Status Bar Summing Works

Status bar summing was a feature in Microsoft Excel that let users quickly add up the values of selected cells. You just had to select a range of cells with values and look at the bottom-right corner of Excel’s window. There, you would find the sum of selected cells, along with other stats like average and count.

If you selected non-adjacent cells, it was easy to tell how many cells were included in your selection and what their combined value was with status bar summing turned on. This saved you time, as you didn’t have to double-check every cell’s value manually.

Another great thing about status bar summing was that it excluded blank cells in your selection by default. This meant that if some entries weren’t relevant or needed correction, they wouldn’t affect your calculations.

Unfortunately, Status Bar Summing is no longer available from the 2021 version onward. Microsoft Office 365 subscription or Office 2019 license for one-time purchase don’t include this feature.

Pro Tip:
Use shortcuts like ALT + = (equal to) or CTRL+ SHIFT + T (inserts an excel table) to add up values within your dataset.

Microsoft decided to remove Status Bar Summing because of a new feature called ‘Quick Explore‘. This enables deep analysis on datasets without needing any coding or mathematical expertise. Quick explore pops up when you right click on a dataset and choose from quick analyze options.

The end of Status Bar Summing may mean that other minimal yet useful features could be diminished over time. But this change is fortunate, as users can now take advantage of more powerful data exploration features within Microsoft Excel itself.

Reasons for Microsoft’s Decision to Remove Status Bar Summing

I recently noticed that Microsoft had taken away the status bar summing feature from Excel. This feature used to give a fast and simple way to get basic calculations on selected cells. I was curious as to why it was removed, so I investigated further.

In this part, I’ll look at the reasons for Microsoft’s choice to delete the status bar summing. I will also explain Microsoft’s explanation for its removal and the restrictions of status bar summing that could have added to the decision to remove it.

Image credits: pixelatedworks.com by Adam Washington

Microsoft’s Explanation for Status Bar Summing Removal

Microsoft claim that taking away the Status Bar Summing feature has made Excel better. This is to give users a nicer and more efficient experience.

Alternative ways to sum up values in Excel, like formulas or AutoSum, are the ones they suggest. These offer more control over calculations than the Status Bar Summing feature.

But if you used to use the Status Bar Summing feature a lot, don’t worry! You can still use older versions of Excel or try add-ons or extensions that do the same job.

Using alternative methods will help you get a better result. And they will make your experience with newer versions of Excel faster and nicer.

The heading “Limitations of Status Bar Summing” explains why the Status Bar Summing feature may not work for all types of calculations. And it shows how alternative methods can help you deal with these limitations.

Limitations of Status Bar Summing

A real issue with Status Bar Summing is it only displays the sum of a chosen range of cells. If you have a big data set with multiple rows and columns, you have to manually select all of the cells you need to sum. This can take a lot of time and effort.

Let’s try an example. Imagine you have an Excel sheet with 1000 rows and 15 columns. If you want to add up each column, you must use the mouse to choose each column one by one, which isn’t very useful. This process can even miss out cells that are very important for your calculation.

Another downside is the result display format; it is always in a scientific format such as “1.23E+05” instead of showing the whole number automatically.

For instance, think of an accountant at a small firm. Their job is to record monthly expenses from 100 salespeople – their salaries, commissions earned from accounts won or lost, transport allowances, etc. – in Excel sheets. To get an accurate total expense per month, the accountant uses Status Bar Summing. One day, it is found that the sums are inaccurate because some cell ranges weren’t included, leading to errors like incorrect financial accounting statements. This causes losses due to legal penalties.

The next section will talk about options now that Microsoft has decided to remove Status-Bar-Summing.

Replacement Options for Status Bar Summing

Excel users! Did you rely on the Status Bar Summing feature? Bad news – Microsoft removed it. Don’t fret, though! We’ll explore 3 alternatives. You can use the SUM function, AutoSum, or Subtotal. Pick the one that works best for you. Let’s get started!

Image credits: pixelatedworks.com by Adam Woodhock

Utilizing the SUM Function

The SUM Function can be used on entire columns or rows. Select the first empty cell and type in “=SUM(column/row)”. The function will then calculate the numerical data automatically. Auto-filling options can save time when using this feature more than once.

SUM Function is not compatible with Status Bar Summing as they have different functions. Status Bar Summing automatically calculates ranges selected, whereas SUM Function requires manual adjustment for each range.

In Excel 2007, Status Bar Summing was introduced. Prior to that, users had to use SUM Function or manually add numbers together across rows and columns.

Next, we will look at “Leveraging AutoSum Feature“. This provides another option for calculating data.

Leveraging AutoSum Feature

Excel’s AutoSum feature allows you to quickly sum contiguous values without manually entering a long formula. Simply select an empty cell for the result, click AutoSum in the ribbon menu, and select the range of cells to be added. Press enter and the result will be displayed. There are other built-in functions that can be used depending on calculation requirements.

To use AutoSum another way, select multiple columns or rows and press Alt + =. This will add up the respective column/row values and display the total in an adjacent cell.

For those using older software versions that do not include AutoSum, navigate to ‘Formulas’ > ‘Function Library’ > ‘Sum’. Enter the range for the desired column/row and hit enter.

Subtotal feature has even more options. It can be used to write data vertically or horizontally without losing any functionalities. This will enable an updated summary at every stage when making high-level strategies across locations/departments/projects etc.

These two features offer amazing alternatives to legacy web/app designers who have been using summed-up field summaries with CSS, HTML, forms, and radio buttons.

Adopting Subtotal Feature

No more Status Bar Summing in Excel? Fear not! The Subtotal feature has got you covered. Here’s a sample data table with and without subtotaling:

Item	Quantity
A	7
B	6
C	2
D	5
Total	20

Using the subtotal feature, you can get subtotals for each item with just a few clicks. Go to “Data” then select “Subtotal” and set the appropriate settings. Excel will generate:

Item	Quantity
A	5
A	2
B	6
C	2
D	5

Pro Tip: You can add multiple layers of grouping when using the subtotal feature. Get more complex summary tables!

Alternatives to Status Bar Summing:
Need to sum up data in Excel? No worries. There are other options available. We’ll explore them in the next section.

Recap of Status Bar Summing

Ah, the good ol’ days of status bar summing. It made our Excel lives so much easier by giving us a quick total of selected numbers. It was located at the bottom right-hand corner of the window and showed various info, like average, count or sum.

But Microsoft had to get rid of it in later versions. There was a security risk of attackers setting up malicious code that exploited security settings for status bar updates, making it easy to bypass other security features.

Now, we have to use formulas like SUMIFS or SUMPRODUCT. And there’s the Quick Analysis Tool for calculating figures in real-time.

Still, my friend, an analyst, misses the old method. He says how much faster it was than any other program or manually sifting through rows. Even though newer tools are more accurate, there’s something special about those old methods.

Recap of Available Alternatives to Status Bar Summing

Excel’s status bar summing feature no longer works, so users need to find alternatives for quick formulas. Fortunately, Excel offers several options.

• One is Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). Add the desired formula as a quick icon in the toolbar for one-click access to frequently used functions.
• Formula AutoComplete is another option. It auto-completes formulas as you press Enter based on your previous actions in Excel
• The Find and Replace Function replaces formulas within a cell range.
• Advanced users can use Tables to visualize large amounts of data in rows & columns.

These alternatives offer more functionality than the defunct status bar summing feature. If you’re new to using these features, they will help you manage databases and spreadsheet operations faster.

FAQs about Status Bar Summing No Longer Available In Excel

Why isn’t the status bar summing available in Excel anymore?

As of Excel 365, Microsoft has removed the option for users to see a sum of selected cells in the status bar. However, you can use other functions and features such as the AutoSum button or creating a formula to achieve the same result.

Can I turn on the status bar summing feature?

No, the feature has been permanently removed from Excel 365.

What is the AutoSum button?

The AutoSum button is located in the Home tab of the Excel ribbon. It automatically adds up selected cells and places the resulting value either above, below, or next to the selected cells.

How do I add up cells in Excel without the status bar summing feature?

You can manually create a formula using the SUM function or use the AutoSum button located in the Home tab of the Excel ribbon.

Can I still see the sum of selected cells in Excel?

Yes, you can still see the sum of selected cells by either using the AutoSum button or by creating a formula using the SUM function.

Will the status bar summing feature be added back to Excel in the future?

As of now, there are no plans to add the status bar summing feature back to Excel 365.