Imported numbers change to dates

[Guest]

I often copy tables off the internet and they contain text like "1-2" or
"5-11". When those numbers are imported, they automatically covert to a date:
"2-Jan" or "11-May". I want them to be imported as text. If I pre-format
the cells as text, the formatting is overwritten by the pasting of the data.
If I try to format the cells after the data has been imported, it changes the
data to a 5-digit number that has no meaning to me.

Is there any way to paste all the data as text, while retaining the table
format?

 

[Bill Martin]

I often copy tables off the internet and they contain text like "1-2" or
"5-11". When those numbers are imported, they automatically covert to a date:
"2-Jan" or "11-May". I want them to be imported as text. If I pre-format
the cells as text, the formatting is overwritten by the pasting of the data.
If I try to format the cells after the data has been imported, it changes the
data to a 5-digit number that has no meaning to me.

Is there any way to paste all the data as text, while retaining the table
format?

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Have you tried to first format the column to text, and then when you do the
paste, use "Paste Special" and select "values"? Your normal Paste also replaces
the formats as well as the values.

Bill

 

[Guest]

When I pull things off the internet, Paste Special only allows me to paste
HTML, Unicode Text, or Text. The other Paste Special window is never an
option. Thanks for the thought.

 

[Bill Martin]

When I pull things off the internet, Paste Special only allows me to paste
HTML, Unicode Text, or Text. The other Paste Special window is never an
option. Thanks for the thought.

------------

And have you tried to tell it paste as text after first formatting the cells as
text?

Bill