Excel not using regional settings

[Dweezil38]

Hi - I have set my regional settings to use brackets (23) for negative
numbers. I've set both the number and currency formats to use brackets for
negative number. WHen starting Excel, using a new blank workbook, negative
numbers entered into a cell do NOT show with brackets? My language is set to
English (US) and I've adjusted the formats to use brackets for negative
numbers and I've copied to reservered accounts.
I also want the date to default to the short date format I've set for the
language but it too is not working. Excel will not use the default formats
I've set? How do you fix?

 

[Fred Smith]

Excel will use some regional settings, but not all.

Just use Excel to do all the formatting you want.

Regards,
Fred

 

[Dweezil38]

Thank you Fred

So, do I understand correctly, that Excel will not use the negative number
format or the short date format set in regional settings? Is this a bug? Why
will other non-Micrrosoft spreadsheet programs work just fine with the
formats set in regional settings? Does this means that I need to enter all
data normally, then go back and select all cells that need to use the
formatting style I set in regional settings and change the formatting
manually?

 

[Gord Dibben]

Which OS?

Which version of Excel?

I have no problems with Excel 2003 or 2007 using the regional settings of
WindowsXP SP3

Assuming WinXP..............

Start>Settings>Control Panel>Regional and Language Settings>Regional
Options>Customize>Currency>Negative Currency Format. Click on drop-down
arrow and select the ($1.1)

Note: this is under the "Currency" tab in Regional Options. Changing under
the "Numbers" tab only does not do the trick.

Apply and OK>Apply your way out.

Same for shortdate settings under "Date"


Gord Dibben Excel MVP

 

[Dweezil38]

Hi Gord

I'm using Excel 2007 SP2 on Vista Ultimate. A negative currency value will
show with brackets but a non-currency number will not. Both numbers and
currency formats are set to the same thing in regional settings. If I change
the Cell STyle, in Excel, to "comma" it does put in the brackets. As for
date short format, it is not working at all. I've set the regional setting
for my short date format to "dd-MMM-yyyy" which should give "16-Feb-2010"
when I enter a date into a cell, but it does not work. Is there something
I've done wrong? Do I need to copy my regional settings to reserve accounts?

 

[Gord Dibben]

Unfortunately all the Regional settings does is add the formats to the
available ones in Format>Cells>Number.

Does not mean that Excel's default format will follow the date and negative
brackets settings.

In WinXP the closest I get is 16-02-yyyy with Regional settings of
dd-MMM-yyyy

You still have to format in Excel the way you want.


Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

 

[Marcello Fernandes]

Thanks Gord, had the same puzzling question and now it's answered.