excel changes date

[sue gray]

When I enter 3/1/10 enter a cell formatted number, date, 3/14/01, it changes
it to 1/3/10. But if I enter 3/19/10 in the same cell it leaves it alone.

It is only on one pc, if I open the same file from a different pc the date
works fine.

Any ideas.

Thanks

 

[Jim Thomlinson]

I can not really follow your question but XL inherits it's date entry from
your computers regional settings. Take a look at

Start | Control Panel | Regional and Language Settings

To get your computers date settings.

 

[Dave Peterson]

You have to help excel by entering the date in the same order as the way you
have windows set--no matter how the cell is formatted.

So if your windows setting is in dmy order, you have to put the day/month/year.

And since 3/1/10 can be interpreted lots of different ways (March 1, 2010 or
January 3, 2010 -- or even more!), excel helps by doing the interpretation that
matches that windows setting.

And I'm betting that excel sees 3/19/10 as text--not even a date, since there is
no 19th month (dmy order!).

The way you change that windows setting in windows XP is:
Windows start button
Control panel|regional and Language Options|Regional options tab
Customize button|Date Tab
And change that short date format.