adding zeros to dates

[zebra7860]

Hello,

I have dates in the following format in an Excel column:

MM/DD/YYYY

the YYYY is not a problem but the months of January(01) to Sep(09) and the days from 1 to 9 are a problem in that I need to add a ZERO in front of the single digit to make them a double digit.

For example,

1/3/1950 should be 01/03/1950

7/9/2003 should be 07/09/2003

How do I go about adding ZERO's in single digits of months and days to make them DOUBLE digits?

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks,
Al

 

[Aladin Akyurek]

Use Custom format:

mm/dd/yyyy

 

[zebra7860]

Okay, I know how to go to format cells/custom but I see no format in the form of MM/DD/YYYY. I do see MM/DD/YY however.

Could someone also please tell me what to do from there. I know it sounds silly but I highlighted the entire column of dates and clicked on various format codes but nothing effected the highlighted column. What steps are required to change the highlighted column?

Thanks to everybody!
Al

 

[2rrs]

just type it into the custom format window

 

[Seti]

If you go to Format, then choose custom (the last choice in the category box), in the type window put mm/dd/yyyy. This should change the format to have leading zeroes. If it doesn't, look at what is in a sample cell and post back. Is it a formula or a value?

 

[zebra7860]

I went to format|number|custom and typed in mm/dd/yyyy and prior to that I highlighted the dates column. Nothing changed in the date column.

The format of mm/dd/yyyy is now in the 'type" window but nothing gets changed in the dates column, and the question is why??

Can anybody figure this out?

Al

 

[Iridium]

You could change the 'Regional and Language options' setting for the 'Short date:' format in the control panel to mm/dd/yyyy perhaps?

(using XP)

HTH

 

[Seti]

What exactly is in a sample cell? Would you hit F2, then highlight everything in the formula bar, then paste this into a reply to the board? That way, someone might spot something funny.

 

[zebra7860]

funny thing is that when I choose the MM/DD/YYYY format and then highlight the dates column, nothing happens as I said but when I individually choose a date, double click and then go to the next date, it does change the previous date to the MM/DD/YYYY format!!

This would be too cumbersome to change the dates one at a time.

Al

 

[2rrs]

Highlight the dates col and then choose the format.

"funny thing is that when I choose the MM/DD/YYYY format and then highlight the dates column, nothing happens "