COUNTIF "Seeing" text - as in "*"

{=IF(COUNTIF(I17,"*"),A17,"")}

I am using the above formula in column H to look into an adjacent column (I) to see if there is text. If true, I want it to return a value from another cell. The problem is that "I" contains a forumla (=IF(COUNTIF($A$14:B14,B14)=1,B14,"") ) eliminating double entries. I need to eliminate all double entries, but my original forumla is "seeing" the IF formula in column I as text and thus returning a value for every cell in column H.

If is possible to have a formula not be reconized as text? Is there a work around?

I didn't get any replys, but I found a work around

Try,

=SUMPRODUCT(--(NOT(ISERR(SEARCH("~*",I17,1)))))

VBA Noob