Changing the Date Format in Microsoft Word 97/2000

How Do I Change the Date Layout?

If you don't like the way a date is displayed, you can specify another date format in Word 97/2000 with the Insert menu, Date and Time command. For example, you can change the short date format, 01/01/00 to a long date format -- Saturday, January 1, 2000. Word provides many date formats, including variations of the month, day, and year (mmddyy) format used in the United States, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) format (yyyymmdd), and the European format (ddmmyy). You can even choose a format that includes the time or displays the time without the date.

Which Format Should I Use?

Dates are useful for record keeping and document management. The date format you choose depends on your reason for including the date, on the audience, and on the languages used within the document. The format might be simply a matter of company or personal preference. If the date and time are critical, you can choose a format that includes the date and the time in hours, minutes, and seconds. If you are using Word 2000, you can even insert the date in other languages. 

Current or Static Date: Update the Date Every Time You Open the Document?

The date you insert in Word can be static or current. A static date remains the same until you change it. A current date is updated each time you save the document. 

To select a date and time format in Word

1. Select the date you want to change.
   -or-
   Click where you want to insert a date or time.
2. On the Insert menu, click Date and Time.
3. Under Available formats, click the format you want.
   
   Note  If you are using Word 2000, and you want to insert a date or time in another language, click the language in the Language box first. You must enable a language before you can set dates in the language. For more information, type enable languages in the Office Assistant or on the Answer Wizard tab in the Help window in Word 2000, and then click Search. 
   
4. Do one of the following:
   • To update the date whenever you open the document, select the Update Automatically check box.
   • To preserve the original date and time, clear the Update Automatically check box.

The Default Command

The Default command button in the Date and Time dialog box stores the current settings as the default date and time settings in Word. The default format is applied to the Date field (which you set on the Insert menu, Field command).