Microsoft Office Q&A: Ask anything (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)

My apologies if I'm repeating myself here—given that this thread is already over 100 pages deep, I’m almost certain someone has already asked this.

To get straight to the point: I'm looking for a way to format an Excel cell so that when I type "1701" and hit enter, it automatically converts to a date like 01/17/12 (or 01/17/2012, honestly, I don't mind which). I just want to be able to breeze through data entry without the extra steps.

I thought I could just handle this via "Format Cells" by picking a standard date format. However, when I try typing something like 170112 while using a dd.mm.yy format, the result is absolute chaos—it spits out some completely nonsensical date like 05/18/2035.

I’ve spent some time digging around online, but I haven't stumbled upon a solution that actually makes sense yet. Rather than spiraling into a Google rabbit hole, I figured I'd check in here first.

I am running Microsoft Office 2007.

Thanks in advance!

Taylor Patel2 said:My apologies if this has already been covered—and looking at 100+ pages of history, I’m almost certain it has...

Basically, I want to format an Excel cell so that when I type "1701" and hit enter, it automatically converts to a date like 01/17/12 (or 01/17/2012, doesn't matter). I just want to breeze through data entry without the headache.

I thought I could just use "Format Cells" and pick a date style, but when I type something like 170112 with a dd/mm/yy format selected, I get some absolute nonsense date instead. Why does it do that?

I've been scouring the web, but I haven't found a straight answer yet. Figured I'd try my luck here before I lose my mind searching further.

I'm using Microsoft Office 2007.

Thanks in advance! :*

Just type 01/17 instead of 1701.

Taylor Patel2 said:I just want to be able to format a cell in Excel so that when I type 1701 and hit enter, it actually shows up as a date like 01/17/12.

Give this a shot:

Put the number 1701 in cell A1, then go over to B1 and drop this formula in:
=IF(A1<>"";LEFT(A1;2)&"."&MID(A1;3;2)&"."&"12"&"." ;"")
Once you hit enter in B1, it should spit out 01/17/12. If you drag that formula down from B1 to, say, B10, and then start typing your numbers into the A column, you’ll get exactly what you’re looking for.
If you actually want the full year displayed—you know, like 2012 instead of just 12—just swap out that "12" in the formula for "2012". Good luck.

Taylor Patel2 said:basically, I just want to format an Excel cell so when I type 1701 and hit enter, I get a date like 01/17/12 (or 01/17/2012, whatever) and then just keep cranking through dates fast.

Just use Date formatting but if you're trying to fly through entries, just type them as 1/17 or 1/17/24 or 1/17/24

Thanks so much, everyone—everything is up and running perfectly!

@Walter Jackson48/">@@Walter Jackson48 I finally understand what people mean when they talk about being an Excel power user. 😁

Hey there!
So, I've run into a bit of a weird issue with a Word document
A coworker handed me a CD containing a term paper, but whenever I try to open it, all the pages just look completely blank. The page numbers are still showing up on the side, though, and the file size says it's 77 KB (so it definitely isn't an empty file)... I'll go ahead and drop a link to a screenshot here, so hopefully someone can take a look and help me figure this out...

Thanks!

So, I was wondering if there’s any way in Excel to do what you can do in Word—like, taking an image and putting it in the background behind the cells? I really need to be able to type stuff right over the picture without issues.
Using a Text box isn't really an option for me since I actually need to use formulas.
Thanks!

Maybe try it this way:

Go to Format, then Sheet, then Background, and just drop in whatever image you want there.

jadelynx7 said:Hey there!
I'm running into a bit of a headache with a Word document
A coworker handed me a CD containing a term paper, but whenever I try to open it, the pages just look completely blank. The page numbers still show up on the side, and the file size says it's 77 KB—so it clearly isn't an empty file... I'll put a link to a screenshot here, so hopefully that helps clarify things

Thanks

Has anyone seen this before? 🙏🙏

jadelynx7 said:Hey there!
I'm running into a weird issue with a Word document
A coworker gave me a research paper on a CD, but whenever I try to open it, the pages just look blank. The page numbers still show up on the side and the file size says 77 KB (so it’s definitely not empty)... I'll drop a link to a screenshot here, hopefully that helps you guys see what I mean.

Thanks

Are you sure it's actually a Word file, like a .doc or .docx? Try copying it from the CD onto your hard drive first before opening it. You could also try opening it on a different computer, or maybe use a different program if you have one handy (like LibreOffice) or just upload it to Google Docs to see if that works... Just start exploring those options and you'll figure out if the file is actually broken. I'm sure your coworker wouldn't mind sending it over again, right?

Jack Hayes said:Is this definitely a standard Word document, like a .doc or .docx file? Maybe try copying it from the CD over to your hard drive first before you attempt to open it. You could also try opening it on a different computer entirely, or maybe just use a different program if you have one handy (like LibreOffice). Another option would be to upload it to Google Docs to see if that works... anyway, just start exploring those options and you'll figure out if the file is actually readable or not. I mean, your colleague can always just send it to you again, right?

The file is a .doc, and I already tried moving it to a different drive, but it's still giving me the same trouble... I think I'll try moving it over to my laptop next since I'm sitting at my desktop right now

Also, how exactly do I move a file into Google Docs?
Thanks

How do I set the line spacing to 1 in my Word footnotes?

Formatting, Paragraph settings, Line spacing... yeah, all good. Back in '03, we were already set.

How do I replicate what’s in this image (that equation followed by a number in parentheses) without using tabs? The equation needs to be centered, while the number stays aligned to the right margin.



Also, how can I set up page numbering so that pages a-b use Roman numerals, while pages c-d switch to standard Arabic numerals within the same document?

Grace Morris4 said:How can I replicate what’s in this image—specifically centering the equation while keeping the number in parentheses at the far right—without using tabs? I need the formula dead center and the number flush against the right margin.

Honestly, why not just save the equation as an image? You could upload it, set the alignment to center, and set the layout to "in line with text." Then, you just type out the (1.1) on a new line and align it to the right. That’s my first thought—it seems like the path of least resistance, doesn't it?

Grace Morris4 said:And how do I handle page numbering where I use Roman numerals for pages a-b, but switch to standard Arabic numerals for pages c-d within the same file?

At the end of page b, insert a section break rather than a simple page break, then start page c with a continuous setting. And don't forget the most crucial part: you have to uncheck "Link to Previous." Just double-click the header or footer on page c—whichever one holds your page numbers—and disable that "Link to Previous" option. If you miss that step, nothing will work properly.

Grace Morris4 said:How do I pull this off without using tabs? I want the equation dead center and then that number sitting way over on the right in parentheses.

How do I number pages using Roman numerals like i, ii, iii, and then switch to regular numbers like 1, 2, 3 in the same file?

Check the tutorial and instructions for that first issue.

- Inserting equations in Word.
- Numbering equations in Word. Even if there are more options out there.

For the second issue, just use sections and pick whatever numbering style you want.

- Page number format.
- Multi-section numbering.

Does anyone know if this "magic" add-on can handle one specific scenario?
After spending an eternity inputting data and building out formulas, I’ve managed to resolve everything 🙂 except for one simple request—assuming it's even possible. My goal is to allow my colleagues to open a prepared workbook containing two sheets (where the first sheet holds item names and prices, etc.) and, with just a click, transfer only a specific item name and its price over to the second sheet rather than the entire dataset. I've been trying to find a workaround, but I can't seem to find a solution that doesn't involve overly complex formulas that would be far too difficult for them to manage🙂... I would appreciate any advice. Thanks in advance!

Gerald Barnes said:Anyone else caught wind of what this "magic" add-on can actually do?!
So, I spent an absolute eternity grinding away, building out these massive tables and hammering in formulas... and then, boom. Everything's gone. Complications. Done... just one click and it moves only the item name and price over to the other Sheet you pick (not everything).

Look, I don't know why you're making this such a huge ordeal, but seriously—just go watch some Excel tutorials on copying and pasting. Find something that actually fits what you're struggling with and just use it.

- Double-clicking a cell to copy stuff down? Yeah, it works, but let's be real—it’s a lifesaver.
- Copying stuff with the Advanced Filter.
- Copying selected cells.
- Copying non-adjacent cells.

Microsoft Word 2003

The issue: I can't actually open any documents; they just head straight to the printer instead.

For instance, if I click open via an email link or just double-click a file icon, the Word window flashes on the screen for a split second—just long enough to show that little "printing page x of y" status bar—and then it immediately shuts itself down. Then, the printing starts automatically, even though I never actually hit *print*. It just happens the moment I try to open the file.

It’s impossible to read or even look at anything because the window closes instantly.

I guess anyone have a clue what might be causing this?

shadowmoose92 said:Anyone got a clue what's going on here?

First thing, try disabling macros in Word