WPS Spreadsheets: Why Excel Workbooks Open in Manual Calculation Mode
Question details
Find out why Excel workbooks opened in WPS Office may use manual calculation mode and how to switch back to automatic calculation.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- User opens a workbook and notices formulas do not recalculate automatically because calculation is set to Manual.
- Observed behavior
- Workbook opens with Formulas > Calculation Options set to Manual instead of Automatic, so cells with formulas do not update until forced recalculation.
Before changing the setting, save a copy of the active workbook, then check which workbooks are open in the same session. WPS Spreadsheets can inherit the calculation mode from the first workbook opened, so keeping unrelated files closed prevents the setting from being copied.
Set Calculation Options to Automatic in WPS Spreadsheets
Use this when a workbook opens in Manual calculation mode and you want formulas to recalculate automatically when cell values change.
WPS Spreadsheets uses the same calculation mode concept as Excel. When calculation is set to Manual, formulas are not recalculated until you save, close, or explicitly recalculate, which can make results look stale.
In WPS Office Spreadsheets, open the affected workbook and click the Formulas tab in the ribbon.
Click Calculation Options in the Calculation group to expand the dropdown menu.
Choose Automatic from the menu. WPS Spreadsheets immediately recalculates the workbook and will keep formulas updated as cells change.
Stop WPS Spreadsheets from Inheriting Manual Mode from Another Workbook
Use this if the setting keeps reverting to Manual after you change it or after opening different files.
Switch Excel Workbooks Back to Automatic Calculation in WPS Office
Use WPS Office Spreadsheets to open the affected Excel workbook, set Formulas > Calculation Options to Automatic, and save the file so formulas recalculate normally.
- 1. Open the workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office, click Menu > Open, and select the Excel workbook that opens in Manual calculation mode.
- 2. Go to the Formulas tab: Click the Formulas tab in the ribbon to display calculation controls.
- 3. Select Automatic calculation: Click Calculation Options and choose Automatic to enable automatic recalculation for the active workbook.
- 4. Save the workbook: Press Ctrl+S or click Menu > Save to store the calculation setting with the workbook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my workbook open in Manual calculation mode even though I never changed it?
In Excel and WPS Spreadsheets, the application can inherit the calculation mode from another workbook that was opened earlier in the same session. If the first workbook had Manual mode active, later workbooks may open with Manual as well.
How do I check if a workbook is using Manual calculation?
Open the workbook, click the Formulas tab, and select Calculation Options. If Manual is checked, the workbook will not recalculate formulas automatically until you press F9 or switch to Automatic.
Does Manual calculation mode affect all open workbooks in WPS Office?
Yes. Calculation mode is an application-level setting in the session, so changing it affects all open workbooks. That is why saving one workbook in Manual can influence later sessions if it is the first workbook opened.
How can I force formulas to recalculate immediately in WPS Spreadsheets?
Press F9 to recalculate all open workbooks, or press Shift+F9 to recalculate only the active worksheet. After that, set Formulas > Calculation Options to Automatic to prevent stale values.
Will saving the workbook in WPS Office keep the Automatic setting?
Yes. After you select Automatic and save the workbook, the workbook should open with Automatic calculation in future WPS Office sessions unless another workbook or add-in changes the application-level setting first.
