When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
for the cells is "Time."

How can I change this to "Number."

Thanks

There's a template file named book.xlt (or book.xltx or book.xltm or...) that
needs to be changed.

Close excel and use windows start button|search to look for book.xlt*

Open that file in excel (as a template--not as the basis for a new workbook),
change the number format on all the worksheets(!) to general, save it and then
test it out.

I don't think you want to use Number. If you type a date or a time, you'll see
the problem.

General would be better (I bet).



Paul wrote:
>
> When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
> for the cells is "Time."
>
> How can I change this to "Number."
>
> Thanks

--

Dave Peterson

I tried all of the following:

book.xlt* book.xltx* and book.xltm*

but the search results turned up nothing.

On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:08:17 -0500, Dave Peterson
<petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:

>book.xlt (or book.xltx or book.xltm

Did you remember to look for hidden files in hidden folders?

If you can't find your file using windows start button|Search, then you could
use an old DOS command to search and delete them.

Windows Start button|Run
type:
CMD
(to get to the Command prompt)

C:
(to get to the C: drive--change this to the drive that excel is installed on)

cd\
(to get to the root directory)

dir book.xlt* /s

The /s says to search subfolders, too.

Make a note of the locations of the found files.

Paul wrote:
>
> When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
> for the cells is "Time."
>
> How can I change this to "Number."
>
> Thanks

--

Dave Peterson

I did exactly as you suggested, and the reply came back:

"volume in C drive has no label. Volume serial number is 24A7-9E04
File not found."

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:21:24 -0500, Dave Peterson
<petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:

>Did you remember to look for hidden files in hidden folders?
>
>If you can't find your file using windows start button|Search, then you could
>use an old DOS command to search and delete them.
>
>Windows Start button|Run
>type:
>CMD
>(to get to the Command prompt)
>
>C:
>(to get to the C: drive--change this to the drive that excel is installed on)
>
>cd\
>(to get to the root directory)
>
>dir book.xlt* /s
>
>The /s says to search subfolders, too.
>
>Make a note of the locations of the found files.
>
>Paul wrote:
>>
>> When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
>> for the cells is "Time."
>>
>> How can I change this to "Number."
>>
>> Thanks

Try opening excel in safe mode:

Close excel
windows start button|Run
excel /safe

and test it.

If you still have the problem, then I don't have a suggestion.

If the problem went away, then keep looking for book.xlt*.

In fact, you can also look for folders named XLStart.

If you have other drives besides C: where excel could have been installed, check
on those drives, too.

Paul wrote:
>
> I did exactly as you suggested, and the reply came back:
>
> "volume in C drive has no label. Volume serial number is 24A7-9E04
> File not found."
>
> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:21:24 -0500, Dave Peterson
> <petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:
>
> >Did you remember to look for hidden files in hidden folders?
> >
> >If you can't find your file using windows start button|Search, then you could
> >use an old DOS command to search and delete them.
> >
> >Windows Start button|Run
> >type:
> >CMD
> >(to get to the Command prompt)
> >
> >C:
> >(to get to the C: drive--change this to the drive that excel is installed on)
> >
> >cd\
> >(to get to the root directory)
> >
> >dir book.xlt* /s
> >
> >The /s says to search subfolders, too.
> >
> >Make a note of the locations of the found files.
> >
> >Paul wrote:
> >>
> >> When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
> >> for the cells is "Time."
> >>
> >> How can I change this to "Number."
> >>
> >> Thanks

--

Dave Peterson

I don't have a problem per se. It's just that when I open Excel I
would rather the cell formats default to something other than "time."

My problem I guess is not being able to find those files. I did find
three locations for XLStart, but all three were empty.

So I started Excel in safe mode and brought up a spreadsheet, and the
default cell format is "general."

I then brought up an existing workbook, opened a new sheet and the
default cell value is "time."

I then opened a new workbook and the default cell value is "general."

Apparently this "problem" exists in existing spreadsheets.

Still no luck finding book.xlt*

Thanks for your help

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:47:30 -0500, Dave Peterson
<petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:

>Try opening excel in safe mode:
>
>Close excel
>windows start button|Run
>excel /safe
>
>and test it.
>
>If you still have the problem, then I don't have a suggestion.
>
>If the problem went away, then keep looking for book.xlt*.
>
>In fact, you can also look for folders named XLStart.
>
>If you have other drives besides C: where excel could have been installed, check
>on those drives, too.
>
>Paul wrote:
>>
>> I did exactly as you suggested, and the reply came back:
>>
>> "volume in C drive has no label. Volume serial number is 24A7-9E04
>> File not found."
>>
>> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:21:24 -0500, Dave Peterson
>> <petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:
>>
>> >Did you remember to look for hidden files in hidden folders?
>> >
>> >If you can't find your file using windows start button|Search, then you could
>> >use an old DOS command to search and delete them.
>> >
>> >Windows Start button|Run
>> >type:
>> >CMD
>> >(to get to the Command prompt)
>> >
>> >C:
>> >(to get to the C: drive--change this to the drive that excel is installed on)
>> >
>> >cd\
>> >(to get to the root directory)
>> >
>> >dir book.xlt* /s
>> >
>> >The /s says to search subfolders, too.
>> >
>> >Make a note of the locations of the found files.
>> >
>> >Paul wrote:
>> >>
>> >> When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
>> >> for the cells is "Time."
>> >>
>> >> How can I change this to "Number."
>> >>
>> >> Thanks

You don't have to have book.xlt. But if you're seeing that Date format for
brand new workbooks, that's where I'd guess that's where you'd have to change
it.

Existing workbooks are different. They're on their own and not connected
(anymore) to the template/workbook that was used to create them.

Those cells could be formatted as time. If they are, you can change the format.

Or the workbook could have a weird Normal style.

You could click on the style icon -- maybe on the formatting tab of the
ribbon?????

Then look to see what Normal has for the number format.

(In xl2003 menus, it's under Format|Style|change the style name to Normal and
click the modify button--who knows where it's hidden xl2007 <vbg>.)

Because styles live in workbooks, this change would have to be done to each
workbook that has the problem.

Paul wrote:
>
> I don't have a problem per se. It's just that when I open Excel I
> would rather the cell formats default to something other than "time."
>
> My problem I guess is not being able to find those files. I did find
> three locations for XLStart, but all three were empty.
>
> So I started Excel in safe mode and brought up a spreadsheet, and the
> default cell format is "general."
>
> I then brought up an existing workbook, opened a new sheet and the
> default cell value is "time."
>
> I then opened a new workbook and the default cell value is "general."
>
> Apparently this "problem" exists in existing spreadsheets.
>
> Still no luck finding book.xlt*
>
> Thanks for your help
>
> On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:47:30 -0500, Dave Peterson
> <petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:
>
> >Try opening excel in safe mode:
> >
> >Close excel
> >windows start button|Run
> >excel /safe
> >
> >and test it.
> >
> >If you still have the problem, then I don't have a suggestion.
> >
> >If the problem went away, then keep looking for book.xlt*.
> >
> >In fact, you can also look for folders named XLStart.
> >
> >If you have other drives besides C: where excel could have been installed, check
> >on those drives, too.
> >
> >Paul wrote:
> >>
> >> I did exactly as you suggested, and the reply came back:
> >>
> >> "volume in C drive has no label. Volume serial number is 24A7-9E04
> >> File not found."
> >>
> >> On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:21:24 -0500, Dave Peterson
> >> <petersod@verizonXSPAM.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> >Did you remember to look for hidden files in hidden folders?
> >> >
> >> >If you can't find your file using windows start button|Search, then you could
> >> >use an old DOS command to search and delete them.
> >> >
> >> >Windows Start button|Run
> >> >type:
> >> >CMD
> >> >(to get to the Command prompt)
> >> >
> >> >C:
> >> >(to get to the C: drive--change this to the drive that excel is installed on)
> >> >
> >> >cd\
> >> >(to get to the root directory)
> >> >
> >> >dir book.xlt* /s
> >> >
> >> >The /s says to search subfolders, too.
> >> >
> >> >Make a note of the locations of the found files.
> >> >
> >> >Paul wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> When I open a new worksheet or work book in 2007 the default format
> >> >> for the cells is "Time."
> >> >>
> >> >> How can I change this to "Number."
> >> >>
> >> >> Thanks

--

Dave Peterson