How to insert a date from a pop-up calendar in Excel

Inputting a column of dates manually is a tedious process that can result in inconsistent formats and erroneous values.

Therefore, it would make sense to use a date picker. Except, Excel does not have one natively — at least not in 64-bit versions. This means you're dependent on third-party add-ins.

There're a few out there, but a particularly good one is featured on a website called Rad Sheets.

Do the following:

1. Go to http://samradapps.com/datepicker, scroll down and select Download now.
2. Select Save as, and create a new folder in the C drive called 'XLStart'.
3. Save the ZIP file in that folder, copy the add-in file from within and paste it outside.
4. Delete the ZIP file.
5. In Excel, go to File > Options > Advanced, scroll down and find 'At startup, open all files in'. Specify the folder directory 'C:\XLStart' and select OK.
6. Close all instances of Excel and then reopen a window.

The date picker button now appears in the ribbon and as an icon beside the active cell if it uses the Date number format or is directly below a cell that contains a date.

Have a go and see what you think. Hopefully, we won't have to rely on third-party add-ins in the future, but it's the best we've got for now!

For more Excel tips and tricks like this, check out our Video Tutorials page.