Daylight saving time (DST) is a practice of adjusting the clock forward one hour during the summer months to make better use of daylight. While many countries observe DST, it can be a bit of a hassle to manually change the clocks on all of your devices. Fortunately, Microsoft Excel has a built-in function that can automatically adjust the time for you. In this article, we will show you how to use this function to change to DST in Excel.
First, open the Excel spreadsheet that you want to change to DST. Then, click on the “Formulas” tab in the ribbon. In the “Date & Time” group, click on the “Date” function. A dialog box will appear. In the “Date” field, enter the date that you want to change to DST. In the “Time” field, enter the time that you want to change to. Make sure to select the “AM” or “PM” option to indicate whether you are changing to daylight saving time or standard time. Once you have entered all of the information, click on the “OK” button. Excel will automatically adjust the time for you.
If you are changing the time for a range of cells, you can use the “Fill” handle to apply the same formula to all of the cells in the range. To do this, click on the cell that contains the formula and drag the Fill handle over the range of cells that you want to change. Excel will automatically copy the formula to the other cells and adjust the time accordingly. You can also use the “Paste” function to apply the formula to a range of cells. To do this, click on the cell that contains the formula and press the “Ctrl” + “C” keys to copy the formula. Then, select the range of cells that you want to change and press the “Ctrl” + “V” keys to paste the formula. Excel will automatically adjust the time for all of the cells in the range.
Customizing Time Zone Conversion Settings
To further customize the time zone conversion settings in Excel, you can access the “Options” menu within the “Data” tab. Here, you’ll find the “Save Options” section, where you can adjust the following:
- UTC conversion on open: Enable or disable automatic conversion of files that contain time values from another time zone to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) upon opening.
- Saving external workbooks: Specify whether to adjust time values to the default time zone when saving external workbooks.
- Update links to other workbooks: Choose whether to update links to other workbooks when the default time zone changes.
- Adjust for daylight saving time: Enable or disable automatic adjustment of time values for daylight saving time (DST).
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Time zone conversion: Select a default time zone for time conversions. You can also customize the time zone conversion settings by clicking the “Edit Time Zone Conversion” button. This opens a separate dialog box where you can view and modify specific time zone conversions.
Column Description From The original time zone of the time value. To The target time zone for the converted time value. Offset The difference between the from time zone and the to time zone, expressed in hours and minutes.
Automating Time Zone Conversion with VBA Macros
To further enhance the automation process, consider employing VBA macros to perform the time zone conversion for you.
Here are the steps on how to create and use a VBA macro for this task:
1. Open the VBA Editor
Press **Alt + F11** to open the VBA Editor within Excel.
2. Insert a New Module
In the VBA Editor, click on **Insert** > **Module** to insert a new module where you’ll write your macro code.
3. Write the Macro Code
Paste the following code into the module:
Sub ConvertTimeZone(startDate As Date, startZone As String, endZone As String)
Dim convertedDate As Date
convertedDate = startDate + (TimeZone(endZone) - TimeZone(startZone)) / 86400
MsgBox "Converted Date: " & CDate(convertedDate)
End Sub
4. Customize the Macro Parameters
Adjust the values for the following parameters in the macro code to suit your needs:
- **startDate**: The start date and time for which you want to convert the time zone.
- **startZone**: The time zone of the start date and time (e.g., “Eastern Standard Time”).
- **endZone**: The time zone to which you want to convert the date and time (e.g., “Pacific Standard Time”).
5. Run the Macro
To run the macro, click on the **Run** button in the VBA Editor or press **F5**. The converted date and time will be displayed in a message box.
6. Save the Macro
Don’t forget to save your macro by clicking on **File** > **Save** in the VBA Editor.
7. Call the Macro from Cells
To make the macro easily accessible, assign it to a cell (e.g., **A1**) using the following formula:
=ConvertTimeZone([Cell with start date and time], [Cell with start zone], [Cell with end zone])
When you enter this formula, the macro will automatically convert the specified date and time to the desired time zone and display the result in the cell where the formula is entered.
How To Change To Daylight Savings Time In Excel
To change to Daylight Savings Time in Excel, you need to follow these steps:
- Click on the “File” tab in the top left corner of the Excel window.
- Select “Options” from the menu that appears.
- Click on the “Advanced” tab in the Options window.
- Locate the “Date” section and change the “Date adjustment for Daylight Savings Time” setting to “Adjust for Daylight Savings Time”.
- Click “OK” to save your changes.
Once you have followed these steps, Excel will automatically adjust the dates and times in your spreadsheets to account for Daylight Savings Time.
People Also Ask About How To Change To Daylight Savings Time In Excel
What is Daylight Savings Time?
Daylight Savings Time (DST) is a practice of advancing clocks during warmer months so that evenings have more daylight and mornings have less. It is typically used in countries that have moderate climates with long summer days.
When does Daylight Savings Time start and end?
The start and end dates of Daylight Savings Time vary by country. In the United States, DST typically starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
