Using Excel 2016 on Windows 10.1803. Is there any way to permanently set the default date format to mm/dd/yyyy? I know how to adjust the format AFTER I enter a date, but the only format I ever use is mm/dd/yyyy, and 3-Sep never made any sense as a usable date anyway. Is there some way to set the default, so I don't have to change the format every time I add a column with dates in it?

Just for Microsoft's information, since this annoyance has been around for decades and they don't seem to care to change it - Google Sheets automatically treats any date exactly the way I entered it: 9/1, 09/01, 9/1/18, 9/1/2018, etc. And they can do the math on any of those date formats without being told it's a date. So, it can't be hard to do this, but MS doesn't want to???



If you aren't afraid of the competition, then by all means continue to ignore the millions of users who hate the 3-Sep date format.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-c...ts-excel-opara

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The question is NOT how to select and define the date formats. That's always been easy to do. Everyone knows how to select a date and change the format, and how to define the various options. That's not the problem!


The question is WHY the default date format is 3-SEP instead of allowing me to choose a default. There's simply no reason why I should have to select a date/column/row/etc. and manually change the date format. I should be able to tell Excel what format I want to use as my default, and then get that format every time. After that, if I want a different format, it's easy to change it.

In Windows settings (Control Panel>Clock, Language and Region>Region and Language - but the location may depend on Windows version of-course) , set date format according your preferences. MS Office uses the format determined there as default one.

So the paragraph about changing default formats included in the article ( scroll down a bit) is not what you need?


Next time read the entire article...

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@ Pecoflyer
apparently you are able to see and/or understand something in that article that I (and OP) can't.

In the attached picture I've entered the same things in column A and B with the exception that column A is preceded with an apostrophe to keep the entry as text so it won't change.

The active cell is B1, the formula bar shows what Excel changed the entry to, which happens to be the same as what shows in the formula bar for B2,
so why is what's displayed different ?
.

Attached Images

Microsoft Excel - Book1_2018-10-09_09-52-31.jpg (106.3 KB, 22 views)

Hello Pecoflyer.... you haven't abandon this have you ?

I can agree that Excel changes the entry to "short date", as that's what shows in the formula bar.
It makes no sense that Excel change the entry to "short date" as per Regional settings and then not display it as such.
Where did Excel get the decision to display the date as 3-Sep-18, that's neither what was entered nor what Excel changed it to ?

Is there a setting somewhere within Excel or Office that sets a default date display ?

Should this thread be moved to the Office sub forum to maybe catch others who might have an explanation as to why Excel is doing this ?