[mso] Re: Excel Date Format Problem

Thank You Ruby. Your instructions do work, however, Is there a way to make the 
date change when I make the adjustment.  At this time I have to re-type the 
date in for the formated date to appear the way I like, such as 7/6/09 to 
07/06/09. I have tried to re-copy format, but it does not appear to work. It 
copies the same date down. I just want to keep my dates and change the look.
Thank You
Wendall
--- On Fri, 7/3/09, R. Kowaney <rubyco@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


From: R. Kowaney <rubyco@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [mso] Re: Excel Date Format Problem
To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Friday, July 3, 2009, 2:00 AM


After reading through the thread, let me see if this will work for you.

My Excelâ??s Date format Type list show *3/14/2001 and *Wednesday, March 14, 
2001

My Time format Type list show *1:30:55 PM

These 3 formats that have an asterisk beside them correspond to the Regional 
and Language Options settings (Time, Long Date, Short Date) in the operating 
system. If you use these particular formats, and the files are opened in 
another computer with a different Regional setting, it will follow the 
destination computer's Regional settings.

To avoid this type of unexpected change, you can customize your date type 
format.
I will use *3/14/2001 as an example:
To start, click on the cell that has the date you want to format.
1. On the menu bar, click on Format, Cells
2. Click on Number tab
3. Select Date in the Category list
4. Click on *3/14/2001 in the Type list
5. Then, click on 3/14/01 (THE ONE WITHOUT *)
You may ALSO choose 03/14/01 or 3/14/2001 or 3/14 whatever closest type is 
available. (also without *)
6. Then click on Custom (last item in Category list)
7. The format code will be m/d/yy;@ in the Type textbox 
8. Change it to m/d/yyyy;@ (we just added 2 y's)
9. Click OK on the Format Cells dialog box
You will now have a date format that will travel well and not change with 
operating systems and their settings.
If you go back to Format, Cells, you will no longer have an * on the Type that 
you customized. That means the date or time format will not be pegged to the 
operating system's settings.

This should work similarly with the Long Date as well as Time settings.

Ruby


--- From: David Smart <smartware@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Jul 2, 2009 2:54 PM

Not sure what you mean by automatically change.  You need to manually select a 
different format for the date.

What are the steps you're going through to try to change the date format? What 
is the formula you are using to extract the date?  What does the data you're 
extracting from look like?



--- From: "Wendall Oakes" <wendallo@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, July 03, 2009 1:19 AM

I have typed in 39993.75 and you are correct I do get the 2nd of July.  
However, I am trying to change the ormatting of the date from example  
7/02/2009 to 07/02/09 and it will not automatically change.  It will change if 
I hand type in each date.  The formula I use to extract out data that I don't 
want will not change no  matter what I do.  I used another column to store 
this data that will not change.

--- On Thu, 7/2/09, David Smart <smartware@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I don't think that the star at the front has anything to do with the date  
situation.

What date do you see if you enter the number 39996.75 into a date field?  If  
everything is working properly, you should see today (2nd of July) with a  
time of 6 pm if you're displaying time too.

If you're in 1904 mode, then this number will show a date of 3rd of July  2013.

IIRC, the two formats that have the asterisks are triggers for Excel to  use  
the short and long date formats from the operating system settings - i.e.  
locale specific and user preference specific. Certainly, these asterisks
are not an error, and I don't think they can switch you to a 
different   date  system.

At this point there is no way to remove or change the (star at the  front).  
The format stays the same when I copy the cells.

This is quite correct and is as it should be. If you want to change the cell's 
format, simply select a different one. Most of the predefined date  formats do 
not have the asterisk.


--- From: "Wendall Oakes" <wendallo@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2009 11:44 AM

I also have the same situation with the (star at the front). I just  checked 
the spreadsheet and under options / calculation (in 2003) the  checkbox called 
"1904 date system" was not checked. So this answer did  not
help me. At this point there is no way to remove or change the (star at  the 
front). The format stays the same when I copy the cells.

  --- On Wed, 7/1/09, David Smart <smartware@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Under options / calculation (in 2003 anyway) there is a checkbox called  "1904 
date system". I suspect it's ticked in your errant workbook.

--- <larryspcremedies@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2009 3:48 AM

I received a spreadsheet with a date column that?was originally formated with 
the "*mm/dd/yyyy" format (note the star at the front). I do not know what 
version of Excel was originally used to create the spreadsheet or 
on what platform.
The interesting problem about it is that the date is displayed four years 
and?one day in the future.
For instance, the date in in one cell is displayed as "7/8/1992? 1:26:24 AM" 
when it should be "7/7/1988? 1:26:24 AM". If I copy the cell to a new 
spreadsheet it displays correctly. The cell contents of both the old and
new spreadsheets, if displayed as a decimal number,?is 32331.06
This?corresponds to the example?given in?"How to use dates and times in 
Excel"?in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/214094?
No matter what I do in regard to formatting (changing it from date to text, to 
general to any other format), I can't get the date cells to show the correct 
date in the old spreadheet. I even tried switching between
Excel 2008 and 2007 ... no joy in Mudville.
It's obvious?the problem is?somehow releated to leap years I know what to do to 
correct the data in the spreadsheet, i.e., copy the whole dang spreadsheet from 
the problematical spreadsheet into a new
spreadsheet, but I sure would like an explanation and thought I'd share this 
with you guys as a "Humph! I should check the dates in this spreadsheet"?
Has anyone ever had or seen?this sort of problem?


xxx
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