Stop auto correction of number into a date

Anonymous
2010-04-09T11:08:55+00:00

When i work with excel, i do data entry, some of the numbers that i type in can be interpenetrated  as dates. when this happens excel automatically changes the format of the cell from general, to date. i want to be able to stop this auto correction.

I know there are a number of ways to avoid this happening, but i am fed up with these methods. i simply what to turn the auto correct off, so that instead of what i type into the cell changing, what i type into the cell shows exactly what i typed in.

really hope there is someone out the who knows how to do this.

thanks

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2010-04-09T17:09:58+00:00

If you format the cells as Text, all entries will be entered as text

(leading zeroes will be retain, date-like values won't be converted to dates, etc)

...CTRL+1 (to view the formatting dialog window)

...Select: Number_tab...Category: Text

That should resolve most (but not all) of the problem.

Does that work for you?

Ron Coderre

Microsoft MVP - Excel (2006 - 2010)

P.S. If any post answers your question, please mark it as the Answer (so it won't keep showing as an open item.)

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Anonymous
2010-04-09T16:55:47+00:00

Tim

I understand your frustration but this is not an autocorrect issue. 

Typing in 1/5 will automatically be recognised as a date as that is what it is unless... you signify that it is a formula and you expect the answer 0.2 to appear or it is a text item in which case you must preceed the data with a ' apostrophy.

In signifying the that the item is text you will have a data item which is left aligned, as all text is by default.  All other items in this column (even if purely numeric such as product codes) should aligned left.  Product codes though numeric should never be treaded like numbers, if you do, then expect issues.  Telephone numbers are similarly not true numbers, if they were treated as such, leading zeros would be dropped.

Though the whole idea of having to type in that extra character of ' is a pain to remember, it will make your data more acurate, reliable and portable.

Pat PS If you found this useful please vote. Thank you:¬)

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-10T16:29:39+00:00

    it seems that i came late to the party on this forum, so i must ask if what everyone is talking about is the "Auto Format" function of excel.

    Microsoft Offical page

    http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/undo-or-turn-off-automatic-formatting-HA102491299.aspx

    Excel Undo automatic formatting

    When Excel applies the automatic formatting, you can click the AutoCorrect Options button that appears and choose to:

    • Undo the formatting (and you choose to redo it after you undo it) for this instance only
    • Change the specific AutoFormat options globally by clicking the stop option so that Excel stops making this change
    • Change the options for Excel by clicking Control AutoFormat Options.

    Turn on or off automatic formatting

    When you set options on the AutoFormat As You Type tab, Excel can automatically format text as you are typing your worksheet.

    1. Click the File tab.
    2. Under Help, click Options.
    3. Click Proofing.
    4. Under AutoCorrect Options, click AutoCorrect Options.
    5. Click the AutoFormat As You Type tab.
    6. Select or clear the check boxes for the options that you want to enable or disable. For more information on the options, see the section below.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-07T17:22:24+00:00

    I agree 100% completely with those who are frustrated and simply want an option to turn off auto-formatting.  Like others, I know about the work-arounds, but they are simply not efficient and cause more work that a simple 'off' button could solve.  Like others I think this is an issue that Microsoft should have solved years ago, and their silence, other than offering useless workarounds, is extremely frustrating. I just want to add one more example.  If I take the time and effort to type in 'September 23, 2013'  I want it spelled out.  If I had wanted '24-Sep-13' that's what I would have typed.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-02-21T17:11:24+00:00

    I called into the help desk and after being transfered to several departments i got someone who i could barely hear me from the background noise on his end.  After explaing my situation about the simple issue of autoformatting dates, it turned into a much larger issue then atticpated.  Turns out he needed remote access to my computer to see what "bug" i may have picked up.  This is also NOT FREE.  After getting frusterated and his inability to block the noise behind him i hung up and asked a co-worker. IT IS SIMPLE JUST PUT A ' BEFORE YOU TYPE IT IN.  By putting the ' before it keeps the information without replacing it.  This was much easier then paying for remote access or buying a  newer version.  Which was the advice of the help desk since i had "broken" my excel.

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