August 1 2005
Q: When working on spreadsheets I sometimes want to get a quick total of several cells without inserting a formula, Is there a way to do this?
A: Yes.  Here's how:

1. Click on the first cell

2. Hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard

3. Click on the next cell

The total is displayed in the lower center of the Excel Status Window as ‘Sum=X’.  You can also use the SHIFT key to select adjacent cells.  Just click on another cell to cancel the summary.