STOP automatic cell formatting

**justinb2** · 08-01-2011, 07:20 PM

I want to enter data as 2/2 but whenever I do it automatically formats the cell to 'date format' so the data appears as 2-Feb instead. How can I turn this silly function off?

Cheers,
J

**shg** · 08-01-2011, 07:52 PM

If that's text or a fraction, format the cell as text or a fraction beforehand.

**justinb2** · 08-01-2011, 08:07 PM

So how do I turn off the automatic format function?

**shg** · 08-01-2011, 11:47 PM

I'm sure there was a 'thank you' in there someplace.

You could change your date format in Control Panel. Otherwise, it's just the way Excel works.

**justinb2** · 08-01-2011, 11:54 PM

Thanks for the suggestion but I already knew that. I can and have been doing it manually for each cell in the past but I am sick of it taking a lot longer to enter my data. My question is how to turn off the automatic format function.

**shg** · 08-01-2011, 11:58 PM

> My question is how to turn off the automatic format function.

No way that I know of, but I've never spent any time fighting it.

**gjlindn** · 08-02-2011, 12:14 AM

shg is right. If you leave a cell formatted as General, it will assume the data type for you when you input it. If you don't want this to happen at all in your worksheet, select all cells that you would potentially key data to and pre-format them to Text or Fraction. If that doesn't work for you and you find yourself repeatedly changing individual cell formats, I'd suggest recording a macro that converts the selected cell(s) to the desired format and then assigning it to a short cut key or a button.

-Greg