Excel sort problem

Can anyone help with what seems like an easy task.
I am trying to sort a table which as columns of numbers as
well as columns of text. I'm wanting the table to sort
with the highest number first but the result shows 8 to be
higher than say 10, 9 to be higher than 104. I can see why
it displays like this, it appears to be looking at the
first digit of that number (then second digit etc.)just as
it would if it was sorting alphabetically. In the FORMAT /
CELLS I've ensured all the numbers to be sorted are in
number format. Quite difficult to describe without insert
the workbook I'm working with.Thanks Ian

Hi

When in the column were some cells formatted before as Text, then setting
the format to numeric isn't enough. To ensure that all entries are numbers,
enter a number 1 into some free cell (or find a cell with number 1 in it)
and copy it. Then select the column/range you want to convert, format it as
number or general when you didn't jet, and then use PasteSpecial.Multiply on
it.


--
Arvi Laanemets
(Don't use my reply address - it's spam-trap)


"Ian Betteridge" wrote in message
...
Can anyone help with what seems like an easy task.
I am trying to sort a table which as columns of numbers as
well as columns of text. I'm wanting the table to sort
with the highest number first but the result shows 8 to be
higher than say 10, 9 to be higher than 104. I can see why
it displays like this, it appears to be looking at the
first digit of that number (then second digit etc.)just as
it would if it was sorting alphabetically. In the FORMAT /
CELLS I've ensured all the numbers to be sorted are in
number format. Quite difficult to describe without insert
the workbook I'm working with.Thanks Ian