Microsft Excel 2007 automatically changes numbers to dates?

Question

If i type in 15-10, it will change it to Oct-15. i dont want this. if i type in 25-90 it will not happen, it is only when both numbers are available to use as dates. i really need this to stop happening. Please help!!

Answer 1

You need to format the cells.  Right click on them and select format cells - you can then select how your information should be displayed in each cell - i.e. as text, currency, number etc.  

Edit:  I just did!  Right click - format cells - select text - it will then put the information in exactly as you type it.

Answer 2

Because you are using that format it will automatically change unless you change the formatting to text but if you do that you won't be able to create formulae or functions for calculations. If you really need that format another way round it is to use 3 columns, first figures in first column the dash in the second and the other number in the third and if you need to print out, use a concatanate function to run the numbers together.

Answer 3

I don't know why you would want to enter that sort of number in one cell, but assuming you do, prefix it by ' (apostrophe) that will enter it as text.

However if you want to enter that kind of number in a row or column hightlight and format it first Menu>Format>Cells as previously mentioned.

Hope this helps