To change the date format in Excel, the most common method is:
- Select the cells containing the dates to be reformatted.
- Press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog box (or right-click the selection and choose Format Cells).
- Go to the Number tab, select Date from the Category list.
- Choose a predefined date format from the Type list shown.
- Click OK to apply the selected date format.
If none of the predefined types are suitable, you can create a custom date format on the same dialog box by selecting Custom in the Category list and typing a format code such as "MM/DD/YYYY" or "DD-MMM-YYYY" in the Type field.
Additionally, Excel uses your computer's regional settings as the default date format. To change the default date format system-wide, you would modify the date format in your operating system's regional settings (e.g., in Windows, through Control Panel > Region and Language settings) which then affects Excel.
There are also keyboard shortcuts for quick date formatting in Excel:
- Ctrl + Shift + # applies the standard date format (e.g., 03/14/2020).
- Alt + H + 4 applies the short date format.
- Alt + H + 5 applies the long date format.
In summary, changing the date format in Excel is done primarily through the Format Cells dialog where you pick or customize your desired format, and you can also adjust system regional settings for default formats. Shortcuts exist to speed up common format applications.
