Inserted symbol is changed to a text character in Excel

Symptoms

In Microsoft Excel, when you insert a symbol into a cell and then select another cell or press ENTER, the inserted symbol may be changed into a text character.

Cause

This issue can occur when you insert a symbol into a cell while a character-style font is selected in the Font list.

Workaround

To work around this issue, format the cell after you insert the font character that you want. For example, follow these steps:

1. Start Excel.

2. In Microsoft Office Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, click Symbol on the Insert menu.
   
   In Microsoft Office Excel 2007, click Symbol in the Text group on the Insert tab.

3. On the Symbols tab, click Webdings in the Font list.

4. In the Character code box, type 56, click Insert, and then click Close.

5. Press ENTER.
   
   Notice that the inserted symbol changes to the numeral 8.

6. In Excel 2003 and in earlier versions of Excel, click Webdings in the Font list on the Formatting toolbar.
   
   
   
   In Excel 2007, click Webdings in the Font list on the Home tab in the Font group.
   
   Notice that the text character changes to the symbol that you want.
   

More Information

When you insert a symbol into a blank cell and then select another cell or press ENTER, the inserted symbol changes to the character equivalent of the currently selected font.