Thanks for your advice. Yes, the numbers are in the cells themselves.
i'm stumped!
thanks anyway.
B

"sb1920alk" wrote:

I'm sorry, then I don't know. When I enter 40026 in a cell and then change
the format, I get August 2, 2013 (or whatever date format I desire). Is
something (like a macro) preventing you from changing the format, or changing
it right back?

These numbers are in the cells themselves, not in a drop-down menu, right?

I can't think of anything else tonight. I'll continue to monitor this
thread. Please let me know if you find a solution.

Perhaps try entering a date in a new workbook with the format you want and
copying that cell. Then Paste Special:Formats onto the cells you're trying to
change.

"ashmoreB" wrote:

Hi, thanks, but this doesn't fix the problem. i have been trying this. the
numbers still remain.
B

"sb1920alk" wrote:

Sounds like the format has been changed. Highlight the affected area,
right-click, and choose Format. Now select one of the Data formats. Under
Custom there are many options to suit your preference.

"ashmoreB" wrote:

Hi,
i hope someone can help me.
I have a spread sheet which is used as a client list. In column C, we
usually have the date listed as MMM/YY (May-08). When i opened it this
morning all the dates were gone and in their place was a short list of
numbers (eg 40026). Up the top, next to the function symbol it shows the
correct date, but i have to click on the numbers to see the date.

How can i change it back to how it was previously. I'm not sure how this
happened.

thanks, B