View Single Post
  #7   Report Post  
Posted to microsoft.public.excel.misc
Fred Smith Fred Smith is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 623
Default how can i change european date format to american

Pasting will not change your default format. Also, pasting only stores a value,
it does not apply a format.

Try typing in a date, and then applying the same format to it. If this works, it
means the format you are using is correct, and therefore the problem is your
dates are text, not dates.

Text to columns will solve your problem, if used properly, but if you don't like
that, try creating a helper column with the formula:

=a1+0

That will force excel to convert the date to a serial number, and your format
should work.

--
Regards,
Fred


"pclifford99" wrote in message
...
That did not work either. let me expalin in greater detail. i pulled some
data off a european website. i copy/pasted the data into my excel file. I
suspect when i pasted it i was taking the european date format and pasting as
the default u.s. format. could this be the issue ?

i am about to start pulling my hair out !

thanks
--
phil


"Gord Dibben" wrote:

Perhaps your dates are text and not dates.

Try DataText to ColumnsNextNextColumn Data FormatDateMDY and Finish.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

On Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:05:01 -0800, pclifford99
wrote:

for whatever reason, that does not work. i've tried it about a dozen times.
i've cut and pasted "values only" to other parts of my spreadsheet thinking
maybe the format was corrupted, but no go. any furthur ideas ?

thanks