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How to Customize Date and Time Formats in Windows 11

Choose a Windows 11 regional format for default date and time conventions, or use the classic Region dialog to customize individual patterns.

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To change how Windows 11 displays dates and times, go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region and choose a Regional format. To customize date order or select particular short- and long-time patterns, open the classic Region dialog and use its additional settings.

Choose a regional format for the default conventions

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Select Time & language > Language & region.
  3. Under Regional format, select the locale whose date and time conventions you want Windows to use. The available choices depend on your Windows configuration.

A regional format changes conventions such as date order and clock presentation. For example, when comparing options, check whether dates put the month or day first, whether the year uses two or four digits, and whether time uses a 12-hour or 24-hour clock.

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Customize individual date or time formats

Use the classic Region dialog when you want to adjust a particular format rather than switch the regional-format default. Microsoft documents opening it from the regional settings page; you can also open it directly:

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  1. Press Windows+R.
  2. Type intl.cpl and press Enter.
  3. In the Region dialog, select Formats > Additional settings.
  4. Open the Date tab to adjust date formatting or order, or the Time tab to adjust time patterns. Review the preview if one is available, then apply your choice.

Set 12-hour or 24-hour time

In Microsoft’s Windows instructions, HH:mm is an example of a 24-hour short-time pattern, and HH:mm:ss is an example for long time. The corresponding 12-hour examples are h:mm:tt and h:mm:ss:tt. These are examples, not a guarantee that every locale offers every pattern.

Regional format is not the system clock or time zone

If the actual time or time zone is incorrect, changing date and time display patterns will not fix it. Go to Settings > Time & language > Date & time to configure automatic or manual time, the time zone, and daylight-saving behavior. Microsoft’s Windows time and date guidance treats these clock settings separately from regional display formats.

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Why an app may still show a different format

Apps do not all handle regional settings identically. Microsoft says Windows regional settings influence how date/time, numeric, and currency data appear when Access formatting options are applied. After changing settings, you may need to close and reopen the Access database for the display to update. Microsoft’s Access guidance describes this behavior.

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In Excel, a format marked with an asterisk responds to Control Panel regional date and time settings; a format without an asterisk does not. If a spreadsheet keeps its existing presentation, check the cell’s selected number format rather than assuming the Windows regional setting controls it. Microsoft’s Excel date and time formatting guidance explains the distinction.

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