Excel 2007 and/or 2002

[Display Name]

I want to subtract 2 hours from 7:00:00 AM (cell A1), and have the result
(5:00:00 AM) show up in Cell C1. So in cell A1 I wrote "7:00:00 AM" (in the
Custom Number format of h:mm:ss AM/PM); then in cell C1 I wrote "=A1-B1" (in
the same Custom format as before).
Now, I want cell B1 to equal 2:00 (2 hours). But when I write "2:00" in B1,
Excel changes it to "2:00:00 AM". However, I want the cell to represent
hours--not AM or PM, but just plain old hours.
(For example: Someone will tell you to "see me in 2 hours." But they
wouldn't tell you to "see me in 2 hours AM"?!! Similarly, one says to
"subtract 2 hours from 7:00 AM". But it is incorrect to say "subtract 2 hours
AM from 7:00 AM")

Now, I understand that even with Excel changing it to 2 hours AM (2:00:00
AM), I will still get the desired result of 5:00 AM. However, WHAT I WANT TO
KNOW IS IF THERE IS ANY WAY TO HAVE EXCEL RECOGNIZE A TIME TO SIMPLY BE TIME.
NOT AM OR PM BUT JUST A TIME PERIOD OF 2 HOURS?

 

[Fred Smith]

From my experience, Excel does this only in the formula bar. It will abide by
your data entry in the actual cell, unless you've formatted it to something
different. So, either pre-format B1 as General or post-format it as h:mm, and
ignore (or turn off) the formula bar.

 

[Mike Rogers]

Display Name

If you formate the cell with 2:00 in it as h:mm it will display as i think
you want.

Mike Rogers

 

[Display Name]

Not only will formating the cell as h:mm not change anything, but right when
2:00 is typed into cell B2, Excel automatically formats it as h:mm. Yet in
the formula bar it will still say 2:00:00 AM.

Nevertheless, thank you for trying to help me out.

 

[Display Name]

I do realize that it is only in the formula bar that 2:00:00 AM is shown, and
when "just viewing the cell" it will display 2:00. However, my question is if
it is possible to have Excel not just display the 2 hours as 2 hours, but how
to have Excel actually recognize a time to simply be time. (and it is in the
formula bar from where we know what Excel is actually doing)

I apologize if I did not explain my question like this to begin with.

 

[iliace]

The formula bar is based on your regional settings. Go to Regional
and Language Settings in Control Panel, and click Customize, then go
over to the Time tab. Use this time format:

H:mm

And take out AM or PM designations.

 

[Fred Smith]

But it is recognizing 2:00 as just 2 hours. When you enter 2:00 in a cell, and
use it in a formula, it will be treated as 2 hours, regardless of how it's
formatted.

What problems have you have with Excel treating 2:00 as something other than 2
hours?

 

[iliace]

You can multiply any date/time value to get the number of hours. For
example, this formula:

=((DATEVALUE(cell1)+TIMEVALUE(cell2))-
(DATEVALUE(cell3)+TIMEVALUE(cell4)))* 24

Will give you the number of hours between day cell1 at time cell2 and
day cell3 at time cell4.