I have several workbooks with date-formatted cells that work properly. I
just created a new one, however, that will not display properly. I have
tried several "date" settings and also the "custom, d-mmm-yy" setting, yet
information placed in the cells come up as a date in "Jan 1900" or as
"###########" with the message that negative dates aren't allowed. I have
tried to use "format painter" from the sheets that work properly but to no
avail. What am I missing?

Thanks in advance.

If the value in the cell is negative, then the only way for excel to show that
value as a date is to toggle the 1904 system date setting.

In xl2003, it's under
Tools|Options|Calculation tab|check 1904 date system

But be aware that any date in that workbook has just changed by 4 years plus a
day.



- Butch wrote:
>
> I have several workbooks with date-formatted cells that work properly. I
> just created a new one, however, that will not display properly. I have
> tried several "date" settings and also the "custom, d-mmm-yy" setting, yet
> information placed in the cells come up as a date in "Jan 1900" or as
> "###########" with the message that negative dates aren't allowed. I have
> tried to use "format painter" from the sheets that work properly but to no
> avail. What am I missing?
>
> Thanks in advance.

--

Dave Peterson

No good. Dates I enter in the formula space as "4-26-2008"
automatically has an = sign added to it and displays on the sheet as
"-23-Jul-09" . "4-30-08" changes itself to "=4-30-8" in the formula space
and displays as "-4-Feb-04" . They are both formatted with "d-mmm-yy".
But, a date formatted as a Date and "5-1-2008" entered in the formula space
ads an = sign and displays as "-June 27, 1909". What's with the minus
signs? BTW - I'm using XL2002.




"Dave Peterson" <petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote in message
news:481A1415.2769B8BA@verizonXSPAM.net...
> If the value in the cell is negative, then the only way for excel to show
> that
> value as a date is to toggle the 1904 system date setting.
>
> In xl2003, it's under
> Tools|Options|Calculation tab|check 1904 date system
>
> But be aware that any date in that workbook has just changed by 4 years
> plus a
> day.
>
>
>
> - Butch wrote:
>>
>> I have several workbooks with date-formatted cells that work properly.
>> I
>> just created a new one, however, that will not display properly. I have
>> tried several "date" settings and also the "custom, d-mmm-yy" setting,
>> yet
>> information placed in the cells come up as a date in "Jan 1900" or as
>> "###########" with the message that negative dates aren't allowed. I
>> have
>> tried to use "format painter" from the sheets that work properly but to
>> no
>> avail. What am I missing?
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>
> --
>
> Dave Peterson

You're not entering dates. You're entering a formula.

4-26-2008
4-26=-22
-22-2008 = -2030

Change this setting:
Tools|Options|transition setting|Uncheck "transition formula entry"

In fact, I'd recommend that you uncheck all those Lotus 123 settings.



- Butch wrote:
>
> No good. Dates I enter in the formula space as "4-26-2008"
> automatically has an = sign added to it and displays on the sheet as
> "-23-Jul-09" . "4-30-08" changes itself to "=4-30-8" in the formula space
> and displays as "-4-Feb-04" . They are both formatted with "d-mmm-yy".
> But, a date formatted as a Date and "5-1-2008" entered in the formula space
> ads an = sign and displays as "-June 27, 1909". What's with the minus
> signs? BTW - I'm using XL2002.
>
> "Dave Peterson" <petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote in message
> news:481A1415.2769B8BA@verizonXSPAM.net...
> > If the value in the cell is negative, then the only way for excel to show
> > that
> > value as a date is to toggle the 1904 system date setting.
> >
> > In xl2003, it's under
> > Tools|Options|Calculation tab|check 1904 date system
> >
> > But be aware that any date in that workbook has just changed by 4 years
> > plus a
> > day.
> >
> >
> >
> > - Butch wrote:
> >>
> >> I have several workbooks with date-formatted cells that work properly.
> >> I
> >> just created a new one, however, that will not display properly. I have
> >> tried several "date" settings and also the "custom, d-mmm-yy" setting,
> >> yet
> >> information placed in the cells come up as a date in "Jan 1900" or as
> >> "###########" with the message that negative dates aren't allowed. I
> >> have
> >> tried to use "format painter" from the sheets that work properly but to
> >> no
> >> avail. What am I missing?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance.
> >
> > --
> >
> > Dave Peterson

--

Dave Peterson