How to stop automatically converting text columns to date values

[andy.k]

I cannot figure this out...
I have batch of data that I have to process text to columns often. But, one of the columns, excel always converts to date format, when it is not. After conversion text to columns, and select that column to change to general, then it changes cell content to 41397 format. How can I stop it from doing that?

Thanks for your help!

[AndyLitch]

In the later stages of doing a text to columns there is an option to set the number format... One of the options is text... I think that should work