date format

[Mike]

My column of dates somehow changed from mo/da/yr format to 5 numbers. I've
tried to change it back using Format, Cells, Date, etc. But it will not
change. How can I fix this?

 

[Sheeloo]

Try this
Enter 1 anywhere in a blank cell
Copy the cell
Select the numbers you want as dates
Choose Edit|Paste Special|Multiply
Format the cells as Date...

 

[David Biddulph]

If they won't respond to to Format, Cells, Date, it sounds as if you've
managed to turn them to text.
Try copying a blank cell, then select your column of dates and Edit/Paste
Special/ Add. Then retry your Format, Cells, Date.

 

[Rick Rothstein]

I think your 5-digit numbers are text and not numbers. Select the cells (or,
if a lot, just select the entire column) with the 5-digit numbers in them,
then press Alt+F11 and copy/paste this line of code into the Immediate
window in the VBA editor that opened up (if you don't see the Immediate
window, press Ctrl+G to bring it up)...

Selection.Formula = Selection.Formula

then, with the text cursor still on this line of code, press the Enter key.
Now, when you go back to the worksheet, your 5-digit numbers should be
numbers, or possibly dates, again. If they are still numbers, formatting the
column as Date should now work.