I know this should be easy but it isn't.

I copy html spreadsheets off an web link in an email that has columns of data. One of the fields has dollar amounts like 1,565.00 that are formatted as general. I need to convert this to a dollar amount like $1,565. When I try to format the field to currency, nothing happens. I tried copying and pasting values in all the different formats. I made sure the column isn't locked. I have 3,500 rows of different amounts that I don't want to manually change.


Please tell me what I'm missing.

Most likely, there are excess spaces in your column, that prevent the conversion of the column's data to the currency format. If it is the case, then you can use the Trim spaces add-in to get rid of them.

Try
Text to column-general
Then set the format of the cell

To show numbers as currency, you can apply either the Currency format or the Accounting format.
Select the cells that you want to format and then, in the Number group on the Home tab, click the down arrow in the Number Format box.

Choose either Currency or Accounting.
Currency

With this format:

The decimal points appear aligned in the column.

The currency symbol appears next to the first digit in the cell. (That is, it is not aligned with the other currency symbols in the column.

I hope this helps!
Tim Paine