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Excel file changes number format each time I open it

Anonymous
2022-01-08T18:33:15+00:00

Hello,

I have an Excel file that started changing the format of my numbers every time I open the file. I have columns that are saved as general but when I reopen the file, they're formatted as dates. When I make the format changes again and save, they revert back to dates the next time I open it.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For education | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-01-08T19:15:22+00:00

    That sounds like Excel automation running out of control. Excel REALLY WANTS to automate date data entry, so if it sees anything that looks like a potential date into a date data type to be "user friendly". The problem is that is it is almost impossible to beat it into submission to stop doing that

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    How is this data entered into the spreadsheet to start with?

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    What does the data look like? Maybe something like this: 9/3?

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    9/3 gets converted to Sept (9 th month) 3, with implied current year

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    The only way I know to suppress this automation is to start the info with an apostrophe, explicitly declaring it to be text.

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