Actual numbers turn to dates

  • Thread starter Thread starter RickyDee
  • Start date Start date
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RickyDee

Quick one here. Probably really easy.

I take a table and copy it. (usually from an HTML as in
web page). this table has cells that contain items like 3-
2 and 12-8-7 in them. I open EXCEL and attempt to paste
this table into EXCEL. A lot of the cells paste as dates
automatically. How do I get cells to stay the same way as
in the form as I originally copied them? If the table
that I selected, then copied, contains 1-2 and 2-3-4 in
them, I would certainly appreciate it if they would paste
the same way.
 
-----Original Message-----
Quick one here. Probably really easy.

I take a table and copy it. (usually from an HTML as in
web page). this table has cells that contain items like 3-
2 and 12-8-7 in them. I open EXCEL and attempt to paste
this table into EXCEL. A lot of the cells paste as dates
automatically. How do I get cells to stay the same way as
in the form as I originally copied them? If the table
that I selected, then copied, contains 1-2 and 2-3-4 in
them, I would certainly appreciate it if they would paste
the same way.
.
Click to expand...
While in the cell(s) that are converting to dates, go to
the "Format" section, top menu; "Cells" (first choice) and
in the format field, change the format to "Number," - it
is probably set as a Date format for this to be occuring...
the format will change back to a number after you click out
of the cell.
Shelly
 
While in the cell(s) that are converting to dates, go to
the "Format" section, top menu; "Cells" (first choice) and
in the format field, change the format to "Number," - it
is probably set as a Date format for this to be occuring...
the format will change back to a number after you click out
of the cell.
Click to expand...

Won't help. If OP pasted in, say, 1-8, Excel will interpret this as eitehr 1-Aug
or Jan-8 (depending on regional settings) of the current year, and will convert
it to a date serial number, so in the year 2004 into 38200 or 37994,
respectively, under the 1900 date system. When the OP changes the number format
to Number or General *after* pasting these into cells, the inappropriate dates
will display their corresponding date serial numbers, *NOT* the original text.

The OP needs to give these cells the numeric format Text *BEFORE* pasting
anything into them.
 
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