WD6X: Date Toolbar Button Inserts Incorrect Date Format |
Q108404
The information in this article applies to:
-
Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
-
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, version 6.0
-
Microsoft Word for Windows NT, version 6.0
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry.
Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if
a problem occurs. For information about how to do this, click Help in
Registry Editor, click the Contents tab, and click to view the "Restoring
the Registry" topic.
SYMPTOMS
If you click the Date button on the Header And Footer toolbar, Microsoft
Word may insert a date format that is different from the one you set using
the DATEFORMAT switch in the [Microsoft Word] section of your Winword6.ini
file.
CAUSE
When you insert the date using the Date toolbar button, Word inserts a DATE
field with the \L switch, which inserts the date with the last format you
selected using the Date And Time command (Insert menu).
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use any of the following methods.
Method 1
On the Tools menu, click Macro. In the Macro Name box type
InsertDateField and click Create. Change
the macro to read as follows:
Sub MAIN
InsertField .Field = "date"
End Sub
Close and save the macro.
To specify a default date format in Word for Windows, modify the
Winword6.ini file. In Word for Windows NT, modify the Windows
Registry as described in the "More Information" section below.
Method 2:
After you insert the DATE field using the Date toolbar button, switch to
field codes view (press ALT+F9 or SHIFT+F9) and remove the \L switch from
the field. For example, change { DATE \L } to { DATE }.
Method 3:
On the Insert menu, click Date And Time. Select the format you want and
then choose OK. The next time you click the Date toolbar button, Word uses
the format you last selected in the Date And Time dialog box.
Method 4:
Use the following procedure to record a Macro that inserts the date format
of your choice, and assign it to the Toolbar:
- On the Tools menu, click Macro. Type a name for your macro in the Macro
Name text box and click Record.
- On the Insert menu, click Field. In the Categories list, click Date And
Time, and in the Field Names list, click Date. Click Options. Click the
General Switches tab and in the Date-Time list, click the format that
you want. Click Add To Field, and then click OK.
- Click OK in the Fields dialog box. Click the Stop button on the Macro
Recorder toolbar. The macro has now been recorded.
- On the Tools menu, click Customize. Click the Toolbar tab and in the
Categories list, select Macros. In the Macros list, select the name of
the macro you just recorded and drag it to an open area on the toolbar.
- In the Custom Button dialog box, click to select a button-face and then
click Assign. Click Close.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word for Windows versions
6.0, 6.0a, and 6.0c. This problem was corrected in Word for Windows 95
version 7.0. The \L switch is no longer inserted.
MORE INFORMATION
To modify the Winword6.ini file in Word for Windows, follow these steps
(see below for Word for Windows NT):
- On the Tools menu, click Macro. In the Macro Name box, type
ToolsAdvancedSettings and click Run.
- In the Categories list, click Microsoft Word. In the Startup Options
list, click DateFormat. (If DateFormat does not appear, delete the
contents of the Option box and type "DateFormat" without the quotation
marks) Delete the contents of the Setting box and type in the default
date format you want, for example MMMM d, yyyy. Click Set, and then click Close.
To modify the Winword6.ini file in Word for Windows NT follow these steps:
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that
may require you to reinstall Windows. Microsoft cannot guarantee that
problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved.
Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
For information about how to edit the registry, view the Changing Keys And
Values online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe). Note that you
should understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs after you
edit it. For information about how to do this, click Help in Registry
Editor, click the Contents tab, and click to view the "Restoring the
Registry" topic.
- In the Program Manager, choose Run from the File menu, and type
REGEDT32 and then click OK. Open the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER window and navigate to the following key:
Software\Microsoft\Word\6.0\Options.
- Select the DateFormat value. If it doesn't exist, click Add Value on
the Edit menu, and type DateFormat in
the Value Name field. Click OK.
- In the String field, type in the default date format you want, for
example MMMM d, yyyy. Click OK then
close the Registry Editor.
REFERENCES
"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, Chapter 31, "Customizing
and Optimizing Word," "Customizing Toolbars" section
Additional query words: