How to fix # when I copy and paste in excel. I already pasted as value.

Hi @Wendy Menjivar,

According to your concern, when you pasting as value and the result shows up as multiple #, this is just a normally display/formatting issue that your destination column is too narrow to display the value.

Therefore, you can quickly fix it by double-clicking the right edge of the column header to AutoFit your data or manually drag the column wider.

Please try the step and let me know if it helps. If the issue still persists or you have any other concern, please feel free to share them under the comment of this post. I will be happy to assist you further.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Looking forward to your response.

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In Excel, a cell that displays a series of # characters (e.g. ########) after copying and pasting usually indicates a display/formatting issue with the value, not a problem with the paste itself.

Try these steps:

1. Widen the column
   Drag the right edge of the column header to make the column wider. If the value is too large to fit the current column width (especially dates or numbers with many digits/decimals), Excel shows # instead of the value.
2. Check the cell format
   • Right‑click the cell → Format Cells.
   • Ensure the format is appropriate (e.g., Number, General, or Date) for the value being pasted.
   • If the value was originally text, set the format to Text before pasting.
3. Paste values only (already done, but confirm method)
   • Select the source cell(s) → Home > Copy.
   • Select the destination cell → Home > Paste > Paste Values.
   • Or use the keyboard sequence Alt > E > S > V > Enter (Windows) to ensure only the value is pasted, not a formula that might reference invalid cells.
4. Check for invalid references if a formula is involved
   If the pasted cell still contains a formula and shows #REF! or #VALUE! instead of a number:
   • #REF! means the formula refers to cells that no longer exist (for example, source cells were deleted). In that case, copy the result and use Paste > Paste Values into the destination cell so it no longer depends on deleted cells.
   • #VALUE! can be caused by text or special characters in referenced cells. Use functions like ISTEXT, CLEAN, or REPLACE to clean the data, then copy the cleaned result and use Home > Paste > Paste Special > Values.

If widening the column and correcting the format do not resolve the issue, inspect the cell contents in the formula bar to see whether a formula error such as #REF! or #VALUE! is present and then correct the underlying references or data.

References:

• How to avoid broken formulas in Excel
• How to correct a #VALUE! error