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Q216661: How to Implement a Policy to Set the Date Format

Article: Q216661
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 4.0,4.0 SP1,4.0 SP2,4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbYear2000
Last Modified: 28-JUL-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 4.0, 4.0 SP1, 4.0 SP2, 4.0 SP3, 4.0 SP4 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition versions 4.0, 4.0 SP4 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 4.0, 4.0 SP1, 4.0 SP2, 4.0 SP3, 4.0 SP4 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you 
modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore 
the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the 
registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SUMMARY
=======

This article describes how to determine the date format that is displayed to
users when they log on to a computer.

MORE INFORMATION
================

A user can configure the date format using the Regional Settings tool in Control
Panel.

You can apply a policy to a computer to control the date format that is displayed
to the user (for example, MM/dd/yy or MM/dd/yyyy). The following registry key
controls the date format:

  Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International
  Name: sShortDate
  Type: REG_SZ
  Default value for U.S. English: MM/dd/yy

The following example shows the different values you can use for this registry
key, and how the date is displayed for a specified value:

Value          Result
MM/dd/yy       03/08/98
M/d/yy         3/8/98
M/d/yyyy       3/8/1998
MM/dd/yyyy     03/08/1998
yy/MM/dd       98/03/08
dd-MMM-yy      03-Mar-98

Through the use of policies in Windows NT 4.0, you can write a custom .adm file
and incorporate it into the policy file. For additional information about policy
files and custom .adm templates, please see the following article in the
Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q185589 Guide To Windows NT 4.0 Profiles and Policies (Part 4 of 6)

You can cut and paste the following information into a file and save it as a
custom .adm file. After the .adm file is incorporated into the policy, you can
configure the date format for users.

----------Start of Date Format ADM----------
CLASS USER

CATEGORY !!DATE
	KEYNAME "Control Panel\International"
	
	POLICY !!ShortDateFormat
		PART !!DateFormatDesc         EDITTEXT REQUIRED
		VALUENAME sShortDate
		END PART
	END POLICY
END CATEGORY	; Date

[strings]
Date="Date"
ShortDateFormat="Short Date Format"
DateFormatDesc="Please enter the date mask. For example MM/dd/yyyy"
----------End of Date Format ADM----------

Additional query words: year y2k hoax user profile

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbenv kbYear2000 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTW400sp4 kbWinNTW400sp3 kbWinNTW400sp2 kbWinNTW400sp1 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400sp4 kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400sp4 kbWinNTS400sp3 kbWinNTS400sp2 kbWinNTS400sp1 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : :4.0,4.0 SP1,4.0 SP2,4.0 SP3,4.0 SP4
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

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