How to Change the Date Format in Windows 10

To change the date format in Windows 10, select Start > Settings > Time & Language > Region. Under Regional format data, select Change data formats. Pick a new Short date, such as dd/MM/yyyy, and a Long date. The taskbar clock and File Explorer update right away.

For a format that isn’t in the list, use Control Panel > Region > Additional settings.

Applies to: Windows 10. Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.

Change the date format in Settings

1. Select Start > Settings > Time & Language.
2. Select Region on the left.
3. Under Regional format data, select Change data formats.
4. Choose a Short date and Long date from the lists. You can also change Short time, Long time, and First day of week here. The time lists work the same way as when you set a 12-hour clock in Windows 10.

To use another country’s formats for everything, change Regional format on the Region page instead. Readers in the Philippines can pair those formats with the right clock by following how to set Philippine time in Windows 10.

Create a custom date format in Control Panel

1. Press Windows + R, type intl.cpl, and press Enter.
2. On the Formats tab, select Additional settings.
3. Select the Date tab.
4. In Short date, type your own format, such as dd-MM-yyyy or yyyy-MM-dd.
5. Select Apply, then OK.

Date format codes

• d is the day (5), and dd adds a leading zero (05).
• ddd is the short day name (Mon), and dddd is the full name (Monday).
• M is the month (9), and MM adds a leading zero (09).
• MMM is the short month name (Sep), and MMMM is the full name (September).
• yy is a two-digit year (26), and yyyy is the full year (2026).

Use a capital M for months. A small m means minutes.

Switch to a 24-hour clock

In Change data formats, set Short time to HH:mm. Capital HH is 24-hour time, and small hh is 12-hour time.

Show the day of the week on the taskbar

In Additional settings > Date, set Short date to ddd dd/MM/yyyy. The taskbar shows the short day name before the date.

Reset the date format

In Additional settings, select Reset, then OK. Windows goes back to the default formats for your region.

If the format doesn’t change

• An app still shows the old format: close and reopen it. Some apps, like Excel, use their own cell formats.
• The time or date itself is wrong: that’s a clock setting, not the format. Check that you set the right time zone in Windows 10.
• Work or school PC: your organization may control these settings.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change the date to dd/MM/yyyy?

In Change data formats, set Short date to dd/MM/yyyy. If it’s not listed, type it in Control Panel.

Does changing the date format change my files?

No. Only the way dates are shown changes.

Does this change the date format for other users?

No. Each user account has its own format.

What’s the difference between Short date and Long date?

Short date is the compact version, such as 09/10/2026, used on the taskbar and in File Explorer. Long date spells it out, such as Friday, 9 October 2026, and appears when you point to the clock and in some apps.

Can I use the year-month-day format?

Yes. Set Short date to yyyy-MM-dd, such as 2026-10-09. This international format sorts correctly and avoids mix-ups between US and UK dates.

How do I change the first day of the week?

In Change data formats, set First day of week to Monday or Sunday. The calendar on the taskbar and many apps follow it.

Why do dates in a CSV file open wrong in Excel?

Excel reads dates using your Windows date format. A file made with a different format, such as US dates on a UK-format PC, can swap the day and month. Use Data > From Text/CSV in Excel to choose the date order while importing. To change only a workbook instead of the whole PC, see how to show Excel dates as dd/mm/yyyy with a custom format.

Need the time itself to change, not just how it looks? Change the date and time in Windows 10 instead. Microsoft Support covers the clock settings in Set time, date, and time zone settings in Windows.