Format Cells To Show Date

[rxsurf]

I am using Mac Excel 2004. I was given a pre-formatted spread sheet to work on that has columns with dates stored in it. Some of the date columns are formatted as general and others are formatted as date.

The ones that are formatted as date display the excel 1900 date storage number in the cell and show the actual date in the formula bar. So in the cell the excel storage number is 40178 and the formula bar shows the date 12/31/2009. I need the date and not the storage number to display in each of the cells.

I have highlighted the entire G column with the date storage numbers G3:G200 and tried to change the date format but it does not remove the storage numbers. I have tried to change the entire column to the General format, but when I do that each cell becomes the storage number and looses its connection to the date.

My question is how do I get the actual date to show in the cells, for example 12/31/09 instead of the excel storage number 40178?

Thanks to whom ever may have an answer

 

[Excelestial]

Do a "custom" format of "m/dd/yyyy"...for instance

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the Board!

I'm not well versed in MAC, but you can try (on a copy of your workbook)-->format your cells as the date format you want, then Data-->Text to columns-->Finish.

If that doesn't work, then you can also step through the Text to Columns Wizard and on the third step there's a date conversion menu, although I don't know if that's in the MAC version.

Hopefully Mike Erickson, the local MAC guru will see this and chime in.

HTH,