Excel: switch off date format in cells

If you enter a date in Excel, the corresponding cells are automatically given a date format. You have to switch this off if you later want to use normal numbers in the cells. You can find out how to do this in this practical tip.

Remove date cell formatting

1. Select all cells from which you want to remove the date format.
2. In the menu bar above you will find the "Number" submenu under "Start".
3. Click on the selection field there and set it to "Standard".
4. The formatting is then removed for all selected cells.

The instructions refer to Microsoft Excel 2010 under Windows 8.1. Excel also lets you automatically insert the date of the current day. You can find out how this works in this practical tip.