[mso] Comparable data formats in Excel VLOOKUP

I am having trouble comparing values within a cell in Excel when doing VLOOKUP. 
 When we download data from our system into Excel, account numbers load with 
green triangles in the upper left corner of the cell.  When I try to reformat 
the cell through the edit mode, it doesn't change that flag, or change it to a 
format I can use to compare values.  The only way I can get it to work, is to 
go into the table that is being used as the lookup table, and change those 
cells individually to text by inserting an apostrophe in front of the value.  
(I am usually dealing with a large volume of data, so treating each cell 
individually in not realistic.)   If I try to format it to text under the edit 
option, it still will not change it to a format recognizable for the comparison 
purpose.  I've copied a sample below to demonstrate.   You can see in D8, when 
I put an apostrophe in front of the value, it gives the comparable green 
triangle and returns a lookup value.  The rest of the data in column D is 
formated as number, as is the data in column A.  However, they are not 
comparable.
 
I have 2 questions:
 
1.  Is there a way to reformat a large range of cells to a number format that 
will be recognizable for comparison purposes in a VLOOKUP?
2.  Is there a way to go into a large range of cells and insert an apostrophe 
in front of the value in the lookup table, so they would be comparable in a 
VLOOKUP?
 
Thanks in advance for your help!

 





















































Lookup Table

Data


VLOOKUP

POCA
FS Item

POCA
 Amt 
 
Return FSItem


3000000
130390

3000000
 $        1,500.00 
 
130390


3000001
130390

3000000
 
 
#N/A


3000002
130390

3020002
 
 
#N/A


3000003
130390

3020002
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000004
130390

3020002
 $  1,621,076.38 
 
#N/A


3000005
130390

3020101
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000006
130390

3020101
 $     142,722.77 
 
#N/A


3000007
130390

3050001
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000008
130390

3050001
 $     900,436.87 
 
#N/A


3000009
130390

3050002
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000101
130390

3050002
 $     620,922.08 
 
#N/A


3000102
130390

3050007
 $  2,062,563.85 
 
#N/A


3000103
130390

3050007
 
 
#N/A


3000108
130390

3050007
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000109
130390

3050007
 $  2,062,563.85 
 
#N/A


3000113
130390

3090000
 $        7,199.30 
 
#N/A


3000114
130390

3090000
 $                  -   
 
#N/A


3000115
130390

3090000
 $        9,842.00 
 
#N/A


3000117
130390







3000120
130390







3000135
130390







3000136
130390







3000140
130390











 
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