Cut and paste problem

[Susy]

When I cut dates from Excel files downloaded from our
organization's web site and paste them into a new file,
they change. 9/1/98 becomes 9/2/95, etc.

It happens anywhere on any new spreadsheet, although it
pastes correctly back on itselft (on the original
spreadsheet). If I paste into Word and then copy and paste
into the new spreadsheet, it's fine. What's going on?

 

[Bernie Deitrick]

Suzy,

It sounds like the file that your downloaded is using the 1904 date system:
check that setting using Tools | Options, Calculation tab, see if the 1904
date system is checked.

HTH,
Bernie
MS Excel MVP

 

[Dave Peterson]

And if it is...

From a previous post:

One workbook was using a base year of 1900 and the other was using 1904.
(tools|options|calculation tab|1904 date system)

One way to add those four years back is to find an empty cell, put 1462 into
that cell.

Copy that cell.

Select your range that contains the dates. Edit|PasteSpecial|click Add (in the
operation box).

You may have to reformat the cell as a date (mine turned to a 5 digit number).
But it should work.

You may want to do it against a copy...just in case.

(I'm not sure which one you'll fix. You may want to edit|pastespecial|click
subtract.)

Most windows users use 1900 as the base date. Mac users (mostly??) use 1904 as
the base date.

 

[hgrove]

Susy wrote...

When I cut dates from Excel files downloaded from our
organization's web site and paste them into a new file, they
change. 9/1/98 becomes 9/2/95, etc.

...

As others have already pointed out, this is caused by different dat
systems. However, they've only addressed the symptoms. The cause i
more important. If your organization uses both date systems without an
order or rationale, it's in the same situation as a city that lets ever
driver decide for themselves which side of the street to drive on. I
your company has a single standard for which date system to use, eithe
the people responsible for this web-based workbook or you are violatin
that standard. If you company doesn't have such a standard, it need
one. You may want to point this out to your manager and/or IT staff