Excel automatically changes numbers to dates

Question

There is a table on a web page that I want to copy and paste into Excel. In the first column there are numbers such as 1-24, 8-30, 7-213, etc. Whenever possible, Excel converts the numbers to dates, i.e. Jan-24 instead of 1-24. I tried formatting the column as text before pasting but to no avail. Ideas?

Answer 1

Have you tried?:-

Data tab

Get External Data group

Click on:-

From Web

The New Web Query window should open.

In the new Web Query:-

Address:

 - box type in the address from which you wish to import then click:-

Go

You should now find that the page you want is shown and it has black arrows on yellow background on the areas which you can import. Click on the one(s) you want (the yellow background should change to green once this has been done) then click on:-

Import

 - in the lower right hand corner.

An Import Data window should open in which you can choose where to, "paste" the data.

Click OK to import.

Does the above procedure enable you to achieve your aims?

If it does please vote as helpful.

Thanks.

Answer 2

Rather than copy from the Web,  I would use Data>From Web

Ater selecting the Table to import you can, in Options, checkmark "Disable Date Recognition"

Gord

Answer 3

I thought of that but the only choices available in the Paste Special dialog box are HTML (puts each column from the Web page in a separate Excel column but converts the number to a date), and Unicode Text and Text (both of which paste the numbers correctly but remove the columns so all the text in a row is in the same cell). Any other ideas?

Tia

Guy

Answer 4

Hi,

Formatting as text was the first step.

Use PasteSpecial/value, especially if you copy anything from a web page.

Regards

JY