Nothing to do with genealogy, but...

[Anne H]

Are there any experts in Excel out there?

I'm at a loss! I copied and pasted a portion of a cheque ledger with dates ranging from 2004 through 2007 into a new workbook and all the dates changed to 2000, 2001 and 2003. I only know the very basics of Excel (which isn't much), and I looked for a solution in the Help section for hours but can't find anything that will help me solve this problem.

Can anyone help...please. [-o<

Regards,
Anne H

[paddyscar]

Hi Anne:

Sorry nobody's been on to answer your question.

I know nothing ... If you are still sitting with the file open, you can go to the toolbar and select edit, then select undo from the drop down menu.

Other than than close the file without saving.

No help in rectifying the situation, so I hope someone is along soon who can help.

Frances

[Currie]

Hello Anne,

Help! I don’t know anything about Excel. However, I had a bit of a scratch around and it looks like Excel supports two date systems 1900 & 1904 and maybe the document was prepared using one and you’re importing it using another thus the 4 year difference. I have Excel 2002. I searched Help for ‘date’ clicked on ‘about dates and date systems’ then on ‘the 1900 and 1904 date systems’. It reads:

Excel supports two date systems: the 1900 and 1904 date systems. The default date system for Microsoft Excel for Windows is 1900. The default date system for Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh is 1904. You can change the date system. On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Calculation tab, and then select or clear the 1904 date system check box.

The date system is changed automatically when you open a document from another platform. For example, if you are working in Excel for Windows and you open a document created in Excel for the Macintosh, the 1904 date system check box is selected automatically.

Looks like it’s supposed to be automatic but maybe something went wrong somewhere along the line and it has to be changed manually.

Hope that helps,
Alan

[Anne H]

Hi Frances,

Thanks for the suggestion but it doesn't work. It was just a copy and paste of a portion of the ledger into a new blank page.

Technology is great when you know what you're doing

Regards,
Anne H

[Anne H]

Hi Alan,

That was it! Thank you! Thank you!

I had actually read that portion of the help section and when I looked at my regular document to see if the 1904 option was checked, it was. I didn't realize that the 1904 option wasn't checked whenever I opened up a new workbook.

I'll have to remember to go in and make sure 1904 is checked each time I open a new workbook.

Thanks again.

Regards,
Anne H

[Currie]

That's great Anne.

A lucky guess.

Alan

[Hugo]

Must remember this as I have never come accross this problem before.

Hugo