How to make these two columns have the same date format?

[eeps24]

I have two columns with dates (one is in general format and the other is in date format), I am trying to do a simple IF statement which will tell me if the two dates do not match. The problem is not my IF statement (=IF(C2=A2,"yes","no"), its with the dates formats. Problem 1 is the format, problem 2 I noticed column A has the leading zero and column B does not (I guess ties back in to problem 1). For the heck of it, I tried the format painter from A13 to C13 and it totally changed the value (I guess because excel works with dates differently).

Is there a way I can make columns A and C have the same date format so I can complete my IF statement, which is to tell me if the dates are the same or not?

Thank you


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[63falcondude]

The "dates" in column A are being seen as text. To change them to actual dates, highlight column A > Text to Columns > Finish.

Then your formula will work as expected.

[63falcondude]

Going a little more in-depth, as long as both columns are recognized as dates, it doesn't matter what format they are in.

Excel will still see, for example, 01/01/2000 and 1/1/2000 as being the same.

All dates are stored as numbers in Excel starting from the imaginary date January 0th, 1900 (which is equivalent to 0).

43117 is equivalent to 1/17/2018 because it is 43,117 days past 1/0/1900.

[eeps24]

excellent advice, I never thought about using text to columns for converting... I only use it to separate values. Learned something new today, not only with your fix but to open my eyes more when using features in excel.

thank you!

[63falcondude]

Happy to help. Thanks for the rep!