Date not displaying correctly

[Clark]

Microsoft Excel 2007

I have a column whose fields are defined as 'date'. When I type the date
into the field it will not display the correct date. Example:

I type in '9/29/08' and the field displays '1-Jan-00' instead of
'29-Sep-08'. In the formula bar it reads what i typed...'=9/29/08'

Any suggestions as to why this is happening??

 

[bpeltzer]

Did you TYPE the = ?
If so, that's the problem. As a formula, =9/28/08 gets calculated as some
fractional number less than 1. 'Dates' in Excel are really just formated
numbers starting in Jan-00, so that's why you see 1/1/00 (fractional portions
become the time portion).

 

[Clark]

Thanks for replying...

No, I did not type the = sign. It automatically shows up after I typed in
'9/29/08'.

 

[Dave Peterson]

There's an option under the Office button|Excel Options button.

Look for one of the Lotus transition settings.

In xl2003, it's called: Transition Formula Entry

(Uncheck it)

 

[David Biddulph]

To stop it doing that, use Tools/ Options/ Transition, and disable
"Transition formula entry".

 

[Clark]

Thanks Dave! This worked.

In xl2007 it is under Office button|Excel Options||Advanced button. Then you
scroll all the way to the bottom and the Lotus compatability settings are
there. There are two selections:

-Transition formula evaluation
-Transition formula entry

I turned them both off. (They were on.)

My next question is do I ever want these turned on since I do not use Lotus??

 

[Dave Peterson]

I haven't use lotus 123 in a longgggggggg time. I turn these off whenever I see
them on.