Microsoft KB Archive/114954

= Dates Displayed as Serial in Second Link to MSQuery Data =

Article ID: 114954

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Query 2000

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This article was previously published under Q114954





SYMPTOMS
In a Microsoft Excel worksheet, when you link to a range of data in Microsoft Query, any date values in the range are displayed as serial numbers if a worksheet that contains a link to this same range is open.



CAUSE
When you choose the Paste Link option in the Paste Special dialog box to link to a range in Microsoft Query, if the same link already exists in an open worksheet, the data is formatted with General number formatting. Any dates in the range are displayed as serial numbers.



WORKAROUND
To avoid having linked date values from Microsoft Query appear as serial numbers, do either of the following:


 * Manually apply a date format to the dates, using the Number tab in the Format Cells dialog box. -or-


 * If you are linking to the same range in Microsoft Query, from different workbook files in Microsoft Excel, close one of the workbook files after you link to the data, and before you link to the same data from another workbook.

Note that this behavior does not occur when you paste the data from Microsoft Query; however, in this case the data in the worksheet is not updated when the data is changed in Microsoft Query.

