Forum Discussion
Date entered is changed to a different date
This issue has just started as far as I can tell. On an existing worksheet with the column formated to "date" 01/01/2025 format - when I enter a date of 01/01/2025 as for an example and hit "ent...
Helloiindy500, this isn’t file corruption.
Excel on your laptop is interpreting typed dates differentlydue to a date system or regional/locale mismatch, not the worksheet itself.
When you press Enter, Excel converts the entry to a numeric date serial and then displays it using the wrong system/locale, which is why dates jump to years like 1970 or 1963. When you type the slashes and it stays as entered, Excel is treating it as text.
What to check (quickly)
- Windows Region & Date format
Settings → Time & Language → Region
Ensure the short date format matches what you type (e.g. MM/dd/yyyy). - Excel Date System
Excel → File → Options → Advanced
Make sure “Use 1904 date system” is unchecked. - Excel Language/Locale
Excel → File → Options → Language
Confirm the correct editing language is selected.
Restart Excel after changes.
Microsoft documentation
- Date systems in Excel
https://support.microsoft.com/office/date-systems-in-excel-e7fe7167-48a9-4b96-bb53-5612a800b487 - Change the date system, format, or two-digit year interpretation
https://support.microsoft.com/office/change-the-date-system-format-or-two-digit-year-interpretation-aaa2159b-4ae8-4651-8bce-d4707bc9fb9f
Once these settings are aligned, typed dates will behave normally again.
Thank you - unfortunately I have already tried all of these steps. And it still does not work correctly.
