Cutting and pasting date format

[Jeff Vandehey]

Hi, I got a weird problem. I have an Excel graph created on a PC. It has a
column with dates. The cell format is set to date (format: 01/03/04). When I
open this file on a Mac, all the dates display properly. When I copy a group
of dates from the column, create a new document, and paste them in, the
dates miraculously change! I have tried this on Excel X and 04. Same result.
The destination cell format is still date. The dates change like so:

09/28/04 -> 09/29/08
10/05/04 -> 10/06/08

There is a pattern. The pasted version adds a day, and changes the year from
04 to 08.

Note: The exact same process on a PC does not cause this problem.

Any reason why this would happen?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Peo Sjoblom]

It's because the default date system on Excel Mac is 1904 (windows is 1900),
it's under preferences>calculation and uncheck 1904 date system
having said that there are some good reasons keeping this system since you
can display negative time, an easy fix, put 1462 in an empty cell,
copy it, select the dates, do edit>paste special and select subtract, then
reformat as dates

--
Regards,

Peo Sjoblom

(No private emails please, for everyone's
benefit keep the discussion in the newsgroup/forum)

 

[Bernard Rey]

If you're exchanging files with a PC user on a regular basis, there is a
helpful add-in you can download from here:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?B26621E2A

This will let you use the sheet in the date system you like and convert it
on the fly if you want to.