Step-by-Step Guide: Changing Date & Number Formats from Indian to US Settings
This guide explains how to adjust your laptop's regional settings from Indian to US formats. This change will ensure consistency in displaying dates and numbers across your applications, including Excel, Google Sheets, and your general system date. This adjustment is essential for seamless data sharing and collaboration with US-based teams and clients, eliminating potential confusion caused by differing regional formats.
By Krupali Domadia
For Example:
Date Format:
- Indian: DD/MM/YYYY (e.g., 25/10/2023)
- US: MM/DD/YYYY (e.g., 10/25/2023)
Number Format (Separators & Decimals):
- Indian: 1,00,000.000 (One lakh)
- US: 100,000.00 (One hundred thousand)
Steps to Change Region Settings (Windows)
1
Open Control Panel: Search for "Control Panel" in the Windows search bar.
2
Click on "Control Panel"
3
Click on "Clock and Region": If you're in "Category" view, click on "Clock and Region." If you're in "Icons" view, click on "Region."
4
Click on "Change date"
5
In the "Region" dialog box, under the "Format" tab, find the "Format" dropdown menu.
6
Change the format from "English (India)" to "English (United States).
7
Click on "Additional settings"
8
Click the dropdown for "No. of digits after decimal" and select "2" if it is not already set to 2.
9
Click on "Apply"
10
Click on "OK"
11
Click on "Apply" again
12
Click on "OK" again
Excel and Google Sheets:
Dates will be displayed in the US format (MM/DD/YYYY).
Numbers will be displayed with US separators (commas every three digits) with 2 digits after decimal.
General Date Display:
Dates displayed in the Windows taskbar, File Explorer, and other applications will follow the US format.