Making a batch file to alter the short date setting windows

Introduction

Windows has several date and time format settings that can be customized to suit individual preferences. The short date format is one such setting that displays the date on the taskbar, file explorer, and other applications. By default, the short date format in Windows is set to MM/dd/YYYY, but some users may prefer to change it to dd/MM/YYYY or any other format.

This blog post will provide a step-by-step guide on how to make a batch file to alter the short date setting in Windows. We will also discuss an alternative method for changing the short date format and the preferred approach.

Method 1: Using a Batch File

A batch file is a script that contains a series of commands that are executed in a specific order. It can be used to automate repetitive tasks or perform complex operations. In this case, we will use a batch file to change the short date format in Windows.

Follow these steps to create a batch file to change the short date format:

Step 1: Open Notepad or any other text editor.

Step 2: Type the following command in the text editor:

REG ADD "HKCUControl PanelInternational" /v sShortDate /t REG_SZ /d "dd/MM/yyyy" /f

This command adds a new registry entry in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive to change the short date format to dd/MM/yyyy.

Step 3: Save the file with a .bat extension, for example, “change_short_date.bat”.

Step 4: Double-click the batch file to run it. You will see a command prompt window appear briefly, indicating that the command has been executed successfully.

Step 5: Restart your computer to apply the changes.

After restarting your computer, the short date format will be changed to dd/MM/yyyy. You can verify this by checking the date format in the taskbar, file explorer, or any other application that displays the date.

Step 6: (Optional) If you want an application to start automatically after the modification, add the following command to the batch file:

START "" "C:Program FilesApplicationapp.exe"

Replace “C:Program FilesApplicationapp.exe” with the path to the executable file of the application you want to start. The empty quotes after START are necessary to prevent any text from being displayed in the command prompt window.

Method 2: Using Control Panel

Another way to change the short date format in Windows is through the Control Panel. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the Control Panel by clicking on the Start button and typing “Control Panel” in the search bar.

Step 2: Click on “Clock and Region” and then “Region”.

Step 3: Click on the “Additional settings” button under the Formats tab.

Step 4: In the “Customize Format” window, select the “Short date” tab.

Step 5: Change the date format to your preferred format, for example, dd/MM/yyyy.

Step 6: Click on the “Apply” button and then “OK” to save the changes.

After applying the changes, the short date format will be updated to your preferred format. However, this method requires manual intervention and cannot be automated like the batch file method.

Preferred Method

The preferred method for changing the short date format in Windows depends on the specific use case. If you need to change the short date format for multiple computers or users, the batch file method is the most efficient and scalable approach. You can distribute the batch file to all the computers or users and run it remotely using a tool like PowerShell.

On the other hand, if you only need to change the short date format for a single user or computer, the Control Panel method is the simplest and most straightforward approach.

Conclusion

Changing the short date format in Windows can be done using a batch file or the Control Panel. The batch file method is ideal for automating the process and can be used for multiple computers or users. The Control Panel method is suitable for a single user or computer and requires manual intervention. The preferred method depends on the specific use case.

Yes, it is possible to change the short date format in Windows using a batch file. To do this, you can use the reg command to modify the sShortDate value in the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International registry key.

Here is an example of a batch file that changes the short date format to dd/MM/YYYY and then launches an application:

@echo off

reg add "HKCU\Control Panel\International" /v sShortDate /t REG_SZ /d "dd/MM/yyyy" /f

start "C:\Path\To\Application.exe"

To set the short date format to a different value, you can simply modify the value specified in the /d parameter of the reg add command. For example, to set the format to YYYY-MM-dd, you would use /d "yyyy-MM-dd".

Note that this batch file will only change the short date format for the current user. If you want to change the format for all users on the system, you will need to modify the HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International registry key instead.

Another option would be to use the Control panel to change the short date format. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the Control panel.
2. Click on the “Clock, Language, and Region” icon.
3. Click on the “Change date, time, or number formats” link.
4. In the “Format” dropdown, select the desired short date format.
5. Click the “Apply” button to apply the changes.

This method will change the short date format for all users on the system.

The way in which dates are displayed can be found in the computer’s registry under the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International, and specifically under an item called sShortDate.

To modify this format for multiple dates at once, you can use a command:

reg add "HKCU\Control Panel\International" /f /v sShortDate /t REG_SZ /d "dd/MM/yyyy" >nul

Or via a .reg file containing:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International]
"sShortDate"="dd/MM/yyyy"