I'd go just a step further using Biff's instructions.

I'd do the same data|text to columns
then fixed width (but remove any lines)
And choose Date and the correct order (dmy, mdy, ...) just in case the order of
the text entry doesn't match the order of my windows short date.

It may not be necessary in all cases, but those extra 10 seconds would give me
peace of mind!

"T. Valko" wrote:

When a cell is formatted as one type and you change that format type by
going to the menu FormatCells, the new format isn't applied until you edit
the cell. That's what you're doing when you double click the cell.

Try this...

Select the range of cells that hold the text dates.
Goto the menu DataText to Columns
Click Finish

This will usually reset the format to General and then Excel will recognize
the dates as true Excel dates then automatcally set the format to date.

--
Biff
Microsoft Excel MVP

"BLTibbs" wrote in message
...
I have saved a file from quickbooks into excel. when I open the report,
the
dates in my transaction date column are in text format. When I change the
column to date format, nothing happens until I double click in each cell.
It
is as if I have to enter the cell and leave it to 'activate' my command to
change date formats.

this will not do of course, because I have thousands of rows. how do I
get
them to all update when I change the format?

--

Dave Peterson