Q142402

• Microsoft Project for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Project, when you import a Microsoft Excel worksheet that uses the 1904 date system, Microsoft Project will subtract four years from dates imported into date fields.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs because Microsoft Project always assumes that Microsoft Excel worksheets use the 1900 date system.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use either of the appropriate methods.

• Method 1: Use the following steps to force the worksheet to use the 1900 date system:



1. In Microsoft Excel, click Options on the Tools menu.



2. Click the Calculation tab. Under Worksheet Options, clear the 1904 Date System check box.


NOTE: If dates were entered in the worksheet while the 1904 date system was in use, then switching to the 1900 date system will display those dates as four years earlier. In this case, the dates in the worksheet will need to be corrected after changing to the 1900 date system.



• Method 2: Instead of opening the worksheet in Microsoft Project, copy the dates from the Microsoft Excel worksheet and paste them to the appropriate Microsoft Project date fields. This workaround doesn't require you to change the worksheet to the 1900 date system.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Microsoft Project listed above.

MORE INFORMATION

Importing dates from a Microsoft Excel worksheet that uses the 1904 date system may result in invalid Project dates or task Start dates that are earlier than the start of the project. This behavior occurs because Microsoft Project interprets the dates as being four years earlier. If a date is imported that Microsoft Project interprets as being earlier than 1/1/84, you receive the error message:

Date not valid

Start of task ... is before the project starts

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbinterop
Issue type : kbbug
Technology :