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asrobich's avatar
asrobich
Copper Contributor
May 15, 2020

Problem with DATEDIF function

Hi.  I'm trying to calculate the difference between two dates in Excel.  I have used the DATEDIF function to do this in the past, but it doesn't seem to be working correctly this time.  Instead of re...
excel
Riny_van_Eekelen's avatar
Riny_van_Eekelen
Platinum Contributor
May 15, 2020

Try formatting the result cell as General. Excel sees you are calculating with dates and thinks you want to display the result as a date as well. Dates are stored as numbers, so whatever the outcome of your formula is, it will get displayed as the date that is as many days after 1 January 1900.

 

By te way, DATEDIF is not needed for this kind of calculation. See attached example.

  • Jim92065's avatar
    Jim92065
    Copper Contributor
    Dec 05, 2022
    I just ran across this solution and you are exactly correct. I was getting different dates in January, 1900. Formatting as General fixed it. Thanks!
  • 9606806084's avatar
    9606806084
    Copper Contributor
    Jul 29, 2022

    Riny_van_Eekelen I have a problem in using datedif ,it's not giving total experience properly, Example: it's giving only 5.1 or 5.9 (here 5 stand for year 1 stand for month, it's same with other mentioned results),it's not generating results as 5.11 year ,I request someone to assist me on this 

    • Riny_van_Eekelen's avatar
      Riny_van_Eekelen
      Platinum Contributor
      Jul 29, 2022

      9606806084 You need to clarify and give more detail. DATEDIF is not an official Excel function and know to to give wring results in certain circumstances, what's your formula? How does the underlying data look like?

  • Dalal1310's avatar
    Dalal1310
    Copper Contributor
    Aug 28, 2021

    Riny_van_Eekelen Would =DATEDIF formula be the right formula to use if I need to calculate the age of my students in Years and Months on September1st? because I seem to have work on one excel file and not the other despite formatting the date cells as cells and the result cells as general or text. I was thinking maybe one excel file is older than the other but still I count make it work.

     

    Please help!

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