XL2000: Number Signs (###) Displayed in Cells of a Worksheet That Contain Dates

When you open an existing worksheet, you see number signs (###) in cells that contain dates.

The behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:

1. You set the Short date style regional setting in Control Panel to a two-digit year format (for example, "M/d/yy"), so that a date is automatically displayed with a two-digit year.
2. You type dates in a workbook including the day, month and year, using the dash (-) or slash mark (/) separators in one or more cells.
3. You do not click Cells on the Format menu to change the number format. You leave the date formatted as the default number format.
4. You adjust the column width just wide enough to display the date in the cell.
5. You close the workbook.
6. You set the Short date style regional setting in Control Panel to a four-digit year format (for example, "M/d/yyyy"), so that a date is automatically displayed with a four-digit year.
7. You reopen the workbook.

With the cell selected, point to Column on the Format menu and click AutoFit Selection to widen the column to display the newly formatted dates.

NOTE: After you widen the columns, worksheets may be printed differently. Check your print settings after the changes.

Microsoft Excel uses the Regional Options or Regional Settings icon in Control Panel to determine what number formats to use and the correct separators to use (for example "/" or "-"). These settings affect the way Microsoft Excel displays and uses dates, times, currencies, and numbers. If you type a date in a cell and do not click Cells on the Format menu to choose a number format, Excel defaults to the Short date style in Control Panel. When the Short date style setting changes, the date format automatically changes in the cells in Excel.

For additional information about how Microsoft Excel works with two-digit year numbers, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: