How do I change the settings so that if a number like 1-10 or 1/10 is entered
into a cell, it will stay like that rather than turning into 10-Jan for Excel
2007?

I know I can add a space before the number (which affect sorting and
alignments) or set the cell to text, but is there a way to change the
defaults to always prevent this from happening. I rarely enter dates and if I
do I would rather change it myself.

Also, this can be problematic when doing pasting from one source into Excel
while keeping links, etc. intact.

Thank you.

On Fri, 19 Feb 2010 11:53:01 -0800, Biocellguy
wrote:

I know I can add a space before the number (which affect sorting and
alignments) or set the cell to text, but is there a way to change the
defaults to always prevent this from happening.

Not that I am aware of.
--ron

format the column as text

"Biocellguy" wrote:

How do I change the settings so that if a number like 1-10 or 1/10 is entered
into a cell, it will stay like that rather than turning into 10-Jan for Excel
2007?

I know I can add a space before the number (which affect sorting and
alignments) or set the cell to text, but is there a way to change the
defaults to always prevent this from happening. I rarely enter dates and if I
do I would rather change it myself.

Also, this can be problematic when doing pasting from one source into Excel
while keeping links, etc. intact.

Thank you.

try this, create a workbook that the columns are formatted as text then
follow the instructions below.
Automatically open a specific workbook when you start Excel
To automatically open a specific workbook when you start Excel, you can
place that workbook in the XLStart folder, or you can use an alternate
startup folder (alternate startup folder: A folder in addition to the XLStart
folder that contains workbooks or other files that you want to be opened
automatically when you start Excel and templates that you want to be
available when you create new workbooks.) in addition to the XLStart folder.

Place a workbook in the XLStart folder
Any workbook, template, or workspace file (workspace file: A file that saves
display information about open workbooks, so that you can later resume work
with the same window sizes, print areas, screen magnification, and display
settings. A workspace file doesn't contain the workbooks themselves.) that
you place in the XLStart folder is automatically opened when you start Excel.
This XLStart folder was created when you installed Excel, and is usually
located in one of the following places.

In Windows Vista, the path to the XLStart folder is usually:
C:\Users\user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart.

In Microsoft Windows XP, the path to the XLStart folder is usually:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart.

Tip You can locate the exact path to the XLStart folder in the Trust
Center.

How to locate the XLStart folder

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Excel Options.
Click Trust Center, and then under Microsoft Office Excel Trust Center,
click Trust Center Settings.
Click Trusted Locations, and then verify the path to the XLStart folder in
the list of trusted locations.

Use an alternate startup folder
Click the Microsoft Office Button , click Excel Options, and then click the
Advanced category.
Under General, in the At Startup, open all files in box, type the full path
of the folder that you want to use as the alternate startup folder.
Caution Because Excel will try to open every file in the alternate
startup folder, make sure that you specify a folder that contains only files
that Excel can open.
Note If a workbook with the same name is in both the XLStart folder and
the alternate startup folder, the file in the XLStart folder opens.

Top of Page


"David" wrote:

format the column as text

"Biocellguy" wrote:

How do I change the settings so that if a number like 1-10 or 1/10 is entered
into a cell, it will stay like that rather than turning into 10-Jan for Excel
2007?

I know I can add a space before the number (which affect sorting and
alignments) or set the cell to text, but is there a way to change the
defaults to always prevent this from happening. I rarely enter dates and if I
do I would rather change it myself.

Also, this can be problematic when doing pasting from one source into Excel
while keeping links, etc. intact.

Thank you.

Hello David,

Thank you very much for your detailed message. What happens when I copy
data off a website (which includes links) and paste it into Excel with those
modifications? Because when I make every cell text and then paste from a
website I have to either paste as text (losing all links, colors, pictures,
etc.) or leave it in HTML and lose the non-date formats. Sometimes I copy
data from an email or Word and this modification may not be noticed at that
time. You see I do a lot of research to make comparisons and much of my data
is from online (online software generated data, general websites, etc.). I
have found that I have had unfortunate outcomes because of this which was
discovered way after I pasted it (catalog # ending up as dates, sequence data
ending up as dates, etc.). I know Microsoft thought this would be helpful,
but it would be better to have a choice.


"David" wrote:

try this, create a workbook that the columns are formatted as text then
follow the instructions below.
Automatically open a specific workbook when you start Excel
To automatically open a specific workbook when you start Excel, you can
place that workbook in the XLStart folder, or you can use an alternate
startup folder (alternate startup folder: A folder in addition to the XLStart
folder that contains workbooks or other files that you want to be opened
automatically when you start Excel and templates that you want to be
available when you create new workbooks.) in addition to the XLStart folder.

Place a workbook in the XLStart folder
Any workbook, template, or workspace file (workspace file: A file that saves
display information about open workbooks, so that you can later resume work
with the same window sizes, print areas, screen magnification, and display
settings. A workspace file doesn't contain the workbooks themselves.) that
you place in the XLStart folder is automatically opened when you start Excel.
This XLStart folder was created when you installed Excel, and is usually
located in one of the following places.

In Windows Vista, the path to the XLStart folder is usually:
C:\Users\user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart.

In Microsoft Windows XP, the path to the XLStart folder is usually:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLStart.

Tip You can locate the exact path to the XLStart folder in the Trust
Center.

How to locate the XLStart folder

Click the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Excel Options.
Click Trust Center, and then under Microsoft Office Excel Trust Center,
click Trust Center Settings.
Click Trusted Locations, and then verify the path to the XLStart folder in
the list of trusted locations.

Use an alternate startup folder
Click the Microsoft Office Button , click Excel Options, and then click the
Advanced category.
Under General, in the At Startup, open all files in box, type the full path
of the folder that you want to use as the alternate startup folder.
Caution Because Excel will try to open every file in the alternate
startup folder, make sure that you specify a folder that contains only files
that Excel can open.
Note If a workbook with the same name is in both the XLStart folder and
the alternate startup folder, the file in the XLStart folder opens.

Top of Page


"David" wrote:

format the column as text

"Biocellguy" wrote:

How do I change the settings so that if a number like 1-10 or 1/10 is entered
into a cell, it will stay like that rather than turning into 10-Jan for Excel
2007?

I know I can add a space before the number (which affect sorting and
alignments) or set the cell to text, but is there a way to change the
defaults to always prevent this from happening. I rarely enter dates and if I
do I would rather change it myself.

Also, this can be problematic when doing pasting from one source into Excel
while keeping links, etc. intact.

Thank you.