Forum Discussion
Reformat Date/Time to Date only
If the dates are real dates you may set their format as per your need.
But if dates are dates as Text strings, you can not change their format unless you change them to actual dates.
To check if the dates are real, place the formula =ISNUMBER(<date cell reference>) in a blank cell e.g. if the date is in the cell A2, place the formula =ISNUMBER(A2) in a blank cell and if the formula returns True, that means the date is an actual date and if the formula returns False, that means the date in A2 looks like a date but it is a text string but not a real date. This is because Excel treats Dates as numbers.
If the dates are Text Strings, to change them back to real dates, select the dates, go to Data Tab --> Text to Columns --> Choose Delimited option --> Next --> Uncheck the Tab option (Tab is checked by default) --> Click Finish.
This will change the Date Text Strings back to the actual dates and now you can reset their format as per your need.
If the dates are real dates you may set their format as per your need.
But if dates are dates as Text strings, you can not change their format unless you change them to actual dates.
To check if the dates are real, place the formula =ISNUMBER(<date cell reference>) in a blank cell e.g. if the date is in the cell A2, place the formula =ISNUMBER(A2) in a blank cell and if the formula returns True, that means the date is an actual date and if the formula returns False, that means the date in A2 looks like a date but it is a text string but not a real date. This is because Excel treats Dates as numbers.
If the dates are Text Strings, to change them back to real dates, select the dates, go to Data Tab --> Text to Columns --> Choose Delimited option --> Next --> Uncheck the Tab option (Tab is checked by default) --> Click Finish.
This will change the Date Text Strings back to the actual dates and now you can reset their format as per your need.
- Subodh_Tiwari_sktneer thank you!
You're welcome! If that resolved the issue for you, please take a minute to accept the post with the proposed solution as a Best Response to mark your question as Solved.
