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Mail merge Excel to Word - Date format

villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member -  
brucine Posted messages 24842 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   -

Hello,

I'm desperately looking for a lasting solution to the (random) display problem of dates in American format in Word mail merges from Excel. I've already searched a lot and tried different solutions: inserting Mergefield date format (works sometimes, but not always, and often resets when reopening the document), setting the dates in Excel to the correct date format, etc. Nothing works; I don't understand why it "jumps" from time to time; I have to check the format for every mail merge.

I had this issue in Excel and Word 2013, and I'm now on 365, but it persists. Could it be due to a setting on my machine?

If anyone has encountered this problem before and has a lead, I'd appreciate it.

Thank you!

9 answers

  1.
    Willzac Posted messages 281 Status Member 15
     

    Hello,

    having a sample file would help us a lot.

    Best regards

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    1. villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member
       

      Hello,

      does this help you with the screenshots below?

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  2. villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member
     

    I'm sorry, it's a bit delicate as there are legal data, but I will give you details to better explain.

    Here is the format of the columns in Excel

    and the Word mail merge

    which appears in European format for the first date but American for the second

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  3. villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member
     

    that it be formatted like this

    or like this

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  4. Raymond PENTIER Posted messages 58213 Registration date   Status Contributor Last intervention   17 482
     

    .

    Hello.

    A suggestion :

    instead of the date format 14-03-12,
    rather choose the format 14-03-2012 ...

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  6. villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member
     

    Thank you, but unfortunately the problem persists.

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    1. brucine Posted messages 24842 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 169
       

      Hello,

      The at symbol should, in principle, be preceded by a backslash; in case of failure, although it's somewhat makeshift, use the DDE protocol, see here:

      https://www.faqword.com/index.php/faq/publipostage/412-lors-dune-fusion-et-publipostage-avec-word-et-excel-versions-a-partir-de-xp-word-transforme-les-champs-date-en-format-americain-par-ailleurs-le-resultat-fusionne-des-champs-numeriques-donne-un-nombre-important-de-decimales-.html

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      1. m@rina Posted messages 27555 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention   11 562 > brucine Posted messages 24842 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention  
         

        Under 365, Microsoft no longer supports DDE. So, in principle, it will end in an error...

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      2. brucine Posted messages 24842 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 169 > m@rina Posted messages 27555 Registration date   Status Moderator Last intervention  
         

        Hello,

        My apologies, I don’t use 365 and therefore haven’t tried it.

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  7. villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member
     

    In fact, it's even worse; I just reopened it and now here's what appears (without having changed mergefield)

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    1. brucine Posted messages 24842 Registration date   Status Member Last intervention   4 169
       

      Hello,

      About syntax, there’s also the forum bot that makes life difficult for everyone; I just got a perfectly legitimate link censored.

      So, in telegram style to avoid Big Brother: you need to precede the at symbol with a backslash, and if that’s not enough, change the protocol to DDE.

      The details can be found on Google "mail merge excel word date format" and choose the Faqword link.

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  8. villeminot Posted messages 18 Status Member
     

    then I close and reopen and there we go back to the default version, first date ok, second date in American format. Incomprehensible!!!

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  9. VeroVR
     

    I have the same problem as you with dates beyond the 12th of the month. I just spoke to the MS Helpdesk on the phone, after 30 minutes, the call dropped and I still had no solution. If I get one, I will let you know.

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  10. VeroVR
     

    I found a solution for my problem, and I'm sharing it with you.

    After testing several date formats in "Cell Format," I found one that works (for my xls, it's the 7th entry in type Example 14-03-12).

    The first format in type is preceded by an asterisk, for which it is specified in the window: Date formats preceded by an asterisk respond to changes in the regional date and time settings specified for the operating system. Formats without an asterisk are not affected by the operating system.

    I hope you can find a format in xls that will make your mail merge stable.

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