software

How do I stop excel automatically changing entiries with a / to a date? I am
downloading data such as 7/1 so formatting the cells as text beforehand
doesn't work.

Do you read CSV files? If so, change the name of the file to a .TXT file. Then you will have the opportunity to format each field
the way you like.

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten

quot;Harmitagequot; gt; wrote in message ...
| How do I stop excel automatically changing entiries with a / to a date? I am
| downloading data such as 7/1 so formatting the cells as text beforehand
| doesn't work.
Thanks Niek

The problem is the data is changed as soon as it is loaded into excel so
data is converted into dates before I have the opportunity to save it in
another format. I can download the data into a txt file using any basic
program such as notepad, but again as soon as I open the data in excel it is
changed into date format.

Cheers

H

quot;Niek Ottenquot; wrote:

gt; Do you read CSV files? If so, change the name of the file to a .TXT file. Then you will have the opportunity to format each field
gt; the way you like.
gt;
gt; --
gt; Kind regards,
gt;
gt; Niek Otten
gt;
gt; quot;Harmitagequot; gt; wrote in message ...
gt; | How do I stop excel automatically changing entiries with a / to a date? I am
gt; | downloading data such as 7/1 so formatting the cells as text beforehand
gt; | doesn't work.
gt;
gt;
gt;

lt;as soon as I open the data in excel it is changed into date format.gt;

I don't understand that. If I open a txt file in Excel, I first have to choose between fixed width and separated. Then, don't
click Finish, but next, you see the fields excel proposes, click Next again and you can click each column and choose a data type.
Can't you?

--
Kind regards,

Niek Ottenquot;Harmitagequot; gt; wrote in message ...
| Thanks Niek
|
| The problem is the data is changed as soon as it is loaded into excel so
| data is converted into dates before I have the opportunity to save it in
| another format. I can download the data into a txt file using any basic
| program such as notepad, but again as soon as I open the data in excel it is
| changed into date format.
|
| Cheers
|
| H
|
| quot;Niek Ottenquot; wrote:
|
| gt; Do you read CSV files? If so, change the name of the file to a .TXT file. Then you will have the opportunity to format each
field
| gt; the way you like.
| gt;
| gt; --
| gt; Kind regards,
| gt;
| gt; Niek Otten
| gt;
| gt; quot;Harmitagequot; gt; wrote in message ...
| gt; | How do I stop excel automatically changing entiries with a / to a date? I am
| gt; | downloading data such as 7/1 so formatting the cells as text beforehand
| gt; | doesn't work.
| gt;
| gt;
| gt;
Thanks Niek, I follow you now. My problem was the data was downloading as csv
and automatically changing, but I found a way of downloading it as ascii
delimited and then I can open it the way you suggested.

Much obliged

Harry

quot;Niek Ottenquot; wrote:

gt; lt;as soon as I open the data in excel it is changed into date format.gt;
gt;
gt; I don't understand that. If I open a txt file in Excel, I first have to choose between fixed width and separated. Then, don't
gt; click Finish, but next, you see the fields excel proposes, click Next again and you can click each column and choose a data type.
gt; Can't you?
gt;
gt; --
gt; Kind regards,
gt;
gt; Niek Otten
gt;
gt;
gt; quot;Harmitagequot; gt; wrote in message ...
gt; | Thanks Niek
gt; |
gt; | The problem is the data is changed as soon as it is loaded into excel so
gt; | data is converted into dates before I have the opportunity to save it in
gt; | another format. I can download the data into a txt file using any basic
gt; | program such as notepad, but again as soon as I open the data in excel it is
gt; | changed into date format.
gt; |
gt; | Cheers
gt; |
gt; | H
gt; |
gt; | quot;Niek Ottenquot; wrote:
gt; |
gt; | gt; Do you read CSV files? If so, change the name of the file to a .TXT file. Then you will have the opportunity to format each
gt; field
gt; | gt; the way you like.
gt; | gt;
gt; | gt; --
gt; | gt; Kind regards,
gt; | gt;
gt; | gt; Niek Otten
gt; | gt;
gt; | gt; quot;Harmitagequot; gt; wrote in message ...
gt; | gt; | How do I stop excel automatically changing entiries with a / to a date? I am
gt; | gt; | downloading data such as 7/1 so formatting the cells as text beforehand
gt; | gt; | doesn't work.
gt; | gt;
gt; | gt;
gt; | gt;
gt;
gt;
gt;