# Excel date formatting help needed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 9, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114 "2010-07-09T17:23:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114/1 "2010-07-09T17:23:45Z")
I’m trying to enter a date into an excel spreadsheet but it is being displayed as a julian day number (number of days since 1/1/1900). I’ve tried using the format-\>cells-\>number-\>category-\>Date-\>type\*3/14/2001 option but that doesn’t change anything. I can enter date in other worksheets in this same workbook and they display just fine. However, no matter what cell I enter a date on this particular spreadsheet it is changed to JDN format. Anyone know how to change this??? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114/2 "2010-07-09T18:48:45Z")
Can you use the format painter to copy the format from one page to another? ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114/3 "2010-07-09T18:49:09Z")
No expert here, but the only way I’ve found to fix these types of weird issues is to clear the cell and reformat/re-enter data. Edit | Clear | All to clear the cell. Then set your date display format, and re-enter the date. Good luck. This kind of quirk is such a pita. ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114/4 "2010-07-09T19:13:41Z")
I’ve had luck with creating new columns with =value(A2) (or whatever original cell is), formatting it the way I want it, then copying and pasting special (format and value), back, onto the original cells. Then go delete the new columns. A tip I believe I picked up here. ---
**Author:** ![cmosdes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cmosdes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmosdes)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114/5 "2010-07-09T20:52:40Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Can you use the format painter to copy the format from one page to another? Where do I find format painter? I’ve not heard of that. **redtail23** I tried to clear all but the format remained the same. As I said, everywhere in the worksheet it is formatting dates this way. **jonesj2205** Unfortunately the entire spreadsheet is behaving this way, although I could probably copy it to another spreadsheet within the workbook. I did figure out that if I change the cell format to text and then reenter my date all is good. The only issue is that I have hundreds of rows and when you change the cells to text it changes the cell content to the number of days since 1/1/1900 and I lose the date in m/d/yy format. I could work around that but again, kind of a pita, as **redtail23** put it. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-date-formatting-help-needed/546114/6 "2010-07-09T20:57:53Z")
> [@](#): > > Where do I find format painter? I’ve not heard of that. There’s an icon in the taskbar that looks like a paintbrush. Click a cell that’s formatted correctly, click the paintbrush, now click the cell you want to reformat.