Weekly Computer Tip # 313
2 July 2010

Convince Excel you want to type July 2010
(Excel 97-2007)

Have you ever struggled to convince Excel that you really, really want to enter, say, "July 2010" and not "Jul-10" what it normally defaults to?

Here's how:

1. Right-click the cell and select Format Cells.
2. Click Custom in the Category box.
3. In the Type box, type mmmm yyyy.
4. Press ENTER.

If you AutoFill this cell (see tip_22.php if you cannot remember how) it will copy the text "July 2010" everywhere. But as long as you don't ignore the Auto Fill Options "smart tag", which appears in the bottom right corner of the last cell you dragged the fill handle to, you can choose Fill Months and hey presto!

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