Problems with copying and pasting dates from one worksheet to anot

[Guest]

I am using Excel 2003 on the Windows XP Home Edition platform. I don't know
if it's Excel or the Windows that has the problem but it's really strange
when I copy a date from one worksheet to another. Excel pastes a different
date which is one day and four years delayed. For example I want to copy
March 1, 2007 (this format: 01/03/2007) to another worksheet. The result of
pasting it is February 28, 2003 (this format: 28/02/2007). Has anyone ever
encountered the same problem.

 

[Gord Dibben]

Tools>Options>Calculation Tab has a checkmark for 1904 date system which Mac
uses.

From JE McGimpsey(Mac user) posting........................

The workbooks have different base dates. The one you're copying from is
set to the WinXL default 1900 date system (base date 31 December 1899)
while the one you're copying to has the MacXL default 1904 date system
(base date 1/1/1904). Since XL stores dates as integer offsets from the
base date, you're seeing a 4 year + 1 day shift (the 1 day is an error
in the 1900 system which includes a phantom 29 February 1900).

You can change the date system of your destination workbook (date
systems are workbook specific) choosing Preferences/Calculation and
unchecking the 1904 date system checkbox.

As an alternative, you can enter 1462 in a cell, copy the cell, then
select the cells with the advanced dates. Choose Edit/Paste Special,
selecting the Values and Subtract radio buttons. Click OK.

End JE posting..............................


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP