ExcelBanter - View Single Post - turn off convert text to date (i.e. 4-9 to April 9, 2006)

**turn off convert text to date (i.e. 4-9 to April 9, 2006)**

wrote:
How do I prevent Excel from automatically converting text that looks
like a date into a date. For example, if I type in 5-23 or 5/23, I
need to prevent Excel from converting it into May 23, 2006. In the
data I have, such text is not a date. Putting a single quote in front
of the apparent date to make it text is not a feasible option.

Similarly, does anyone know how turn off all the automatic formatting
in Word?
Hi,

If you format the cells as Text befor you write 5-23 i belive it will
stay that way and not turn it into a date.

Regards,
Bondi