Can't Run Formulas on Date Column

[kelman17]

Hi all!

I have a column of dates that I can't run formulas on unless I go into the cell and then press enter. There's no error indicator on any of the cells. Has anyone encountered this and know a way fix the date column? I'd prefer not to go into each cell and pressing enter.

Thanks!

 

[Joyner]

Hello can you explain a little further. You say "date column" but then formula. Is there a formula in the column that is returning a date?

A couple things off the top of my head - is calculation on manual or automatic. What is the format of the cell, make sure it is not Text. Then copy the formula down and it should all calculate the formula without having to go into each cell.

 

[kelman17]

Hi Joyner,

The column is just dates, not a formula returning dates. The format of the column is General.

If I go to a different cell and enter formula =MAX() and reference the column of dates, the formula returns 0. However if I click into the cells in the date column and press enter, something changes and the MAX formula is able to pick up the dates.

 

[Joyner]

Have you checked that they are actual dates in the cell and not a Text value? I would suspect that is the problem. Have you used "Text to Columns" to ensure they are actual dates? If you have never used that before, simply highlight the entire "date" range, and then on the Data ribbon, in the Data Tools group, Click Text to Columns, click through to Step 3, select Date, clicked Finished.

If your formula doesn't work, I'm not sure what the next step would be.

 

[kelman17]

Text to columns worked. Thanks for showing me that!

 

[Joyner]

you are welcome