Custom Date Appears or Date Is Missing in AutoFilter List (183815)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 5.0c
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows 95 7.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for Windows NT 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh 5.0a
  • Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh 5.0
  • Microsoft Excel for the Power Macintosh 5.0a
This article was previously published under Q183815

SYMPTOMS

In the versions of Microsoft Excel listed at the beginning of this article, the following problems may occur when you click an AutoFilter arrow to display an AutoFilter list:

  • The AutoFilter list contains one entry that represents two different dates. When you select the entry, both dates appear in the filtered list. -and-

  • When you click an item in the AutoFilter list, the selected item may be "(Custom...)" even though you have not previously selected the Custom item.

CAUSE

These problems may occur when the following conditions are true:

  • You are using the AutoFilter to filter a list that contains dates. -and-

  • The dates have been formatted to use only two digits for years. For example, January 1, 1925 appears as "1/1/25". -and-

  • The list contains dates in more than one century: for example, dates in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The problem occurs because the items in the AutoFilter list are displayed with the format that is applied to the cells in the list. If two dates are formatted so that they appear to be the same date, only one entry appears in the AutoFilter list for the dates.

NOTE: The problem in which "(Custom...)" is selected does not occur in Microsoft Excel versions 5.0 and 7.0.

For an example of this problem, please see the "More Information" section.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, format the dates in your list so that they use four digits for years. If the dates appear differently, each date appears separately in the AutoFilter list when you click it.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Example

To see an example of the problem that is described in this article, follow these steps:

  1. In Microsoft Excel, create a new workbook. In Sheet1, enter the following values and formulas: 
          A1: Date       B1: Year
      A2: 1/1/1925   B2: =YEAR(A2)
      A3: 1/1/2025   B3: =YEAR(A3)
      A4: 7/5/1998   B4: =YEAR(A4)
  2. Select cell A1. On the Data menu, point to Filter, and then click AutoFilter.
  3. Click the arrow in cell A1.

    Note that the list contains the following items:

    (All)
    (Top 10...)
    (Custom...)
    1/1/25
    7/5/98

  4. Select 1/1/25.

    Note that both the 1/1/1925 and 1/1/2025 dates appear in the filtered list.
  5. Click the arrow in cell A1.

    If you are using Microsoft Excel 97, note that the "(Custom...)" item is selected in the list even though you have not previously selected it.
  6. Click 7/5/98. Then, click the arrow again.

    Note that the 7/5/98 item is selected in the list.
  7. Click "(All)".
  8. Select cells A2:A4. On the Format menu, click Cells. Click the Number tab. In the Category list, click Custom. In the Type box, type m/d/yyyy. Click OK.
  9. Click the arrow in cell A1.
The dates each appear separately in the list. When you select a date, only that date appears in the filtered list.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:12/30/2005
Keywords:kbprb KB183815
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