Calculate number of days between two dates that are formatted like 6/30/2021 16:05
Hello. I copied dates (formatted like 6/30/2021 16:05) from PointClickCare software and pasted them into an Excel file. When I try to substract two of the dates in Excel, I get a "#VALUE!" error.
Example: Cell B2 has 6/30/2021 16:05
Cell B3 has 5/5/2021 16:30
Cell C2 has =B2-B3
Is there a way for me to calculate the number of days between the two dates?
Note: It's okay if the hours and minutes (e.g. 16:05) get removed from the cells. It's also okay if the date format gets changed.
Thank you!
Without seeing a sample, you could try Text to Columns on the Data ribbon to convert them:
1. Select a column containing 'dates'.
2. Data ribbon | Text to Columns.
3. Click Next > Next > choose DMY > Finish.
If your locale uses MDY, then choose MDY at 3.
Ali
Enthusiastic self-taught user of MS Excel who's always learning!
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Thank you for your help AliGW. I followed your above steps, except that I needed to choose "space" in Step 2 and "Date: MDY" in Step 3 of the "Convert Text to Columns Wizard". This process put the month, day, and year data into a separate column from the hours and minutes.
This method changed my above example as follows:
Cell B2 now has 2021-06-30
Cell B3 now has 2021-05-05
Column C has all of the hours and minutes in it (e.g. 16:05).
Cell D2 has =B2-B3 = 56 (days). This is correct.
Do you know if there is a faster way to get the "dates" (e.g. 6/30/2021 16:05) in my original column B into a proper date format so that I can do calculations with them? For example, is there a formula that I could use in column A to automatically convert column B "dates" into a proper date format?
Thank you very much!
There are instructions at the top of the page explaining how to attach your sample workbook.
A good sample workbook has just 10-20 rows of representative data that has been desensitised. It also has expected results mocked up, worked examples where required, relevant cells highlighted and a few explanatory notes.
Hello AliGW. Please click on the below Excel sample workbook. It has two sheets in it: "Original" and "Preferred method". Thank you.
Sample.xlsx
On the Original sheet put the following into cell A2 and double click the fill handle to copy down: =DATEVALUE(LEFT(B2,SEARCH(" ",B2)-1))
Note that this will display a number which is the way Excel stores dates (number of days since 1/1/1900)
You can change the way cell A2 displays the date but that isn't necessary.
In C2 and down use: =A2-A3
Let us know if you have any questions.
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Please try this:
=INT((B2+0))-INT((B3+0))
Hello JeteMc and AliGW. I tried each of your methods in separate copies of my above "Sample" Excel file (in the spreadsheet named "Original"). Each of the following formulas gave me a #VALUE! error:
- =DATEVALUE(LEFT(B2,SEARCH(" ",B2)-1)) and =A2-A3 in one copy of my "Sample" Excel file.
- =INT((B2+0))-INT((B3+0)) in another copy of my "Sample" Excel file.
A long formula to get the correct date:
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Hi josephteh. Your formula worked well. Thank you!
Thank you everyone for all of your help!
Glad to have helped.
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