date formats

S

steve

I am using the date format of MM/DD/YYYY in a spreadsheet. I am trying to
update 12/31/2005 to 12/31/2006 and when I do so, the date comes back to me
as
01/01/1900, but the formula bar reads =12/31/2006.

How do I fix this???

Steve
[email protected]
 
D

Dave F

XL thinks you're trying to divide 12 by 31 and then divide that result by
2006. This corresponds to a fraction of 1, which number is interpreted as
equivalent to 1/1/1900 in XL logic. It is interpreted in this way because
you have your cell formatted as a date.

Just enter the date as a date, without the = sign.

Dave
 
S

steve

steve said:
I am using the date format of MM/DD/YYYY in a spreadsheet. I am trying to
update 12/31/2005 to 12/31/2006 and when I do so, the date comes back to me
as
01/01/1900, but the formula bar reads =12/31/2006.

How do I fix this???

Steve
[email protected]
Click to expand...

Thanks, but I did not enter the "=" sign, I entered 12/31/2006, hit enter,
and the = signed appeared in the cell by itself.
 
S

steve

I ddn't enter the equal sign.

Steve

Dave F said:
XL thinks you're trying to divide 12 by 31 and then divide that result by
2006. This corresponds to a fraction of 1, which number is interpreted as
equivalent to 1/1/1900 in XL logic. It is interpreted in this way because
you have your cell formatted as a date.

Just enter the date as a date, without the = sign.

Dave
Click to expand...
 
D

Dave Peterson

Tools|Options|Transition tab
Uncheck all those Lotus 123 settings.

Excel figures that you want to do arithmetic 12 divided by 31 divided by 2006
(and formatted as a date, it's January 1st, 1900.
 
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