Help with displya of time formats

[msnews.microsoft.com]

I'm trying to add up some times, ie: 00:01:30 + 00:01:40 - adding one minute
and 30 seconds to 1 minute and 40 seconds. I can get the addition to work
properyl and yeild the desired result, however the constant displaying of
full clock time for the above numbers makes it a real pain to edit the
times. Is there a simpler way of displaying time so that there is no date,
or AM or PM or the addition of an hour in front of the number (ie 00:01:30
becomes 12:01:30)? Even if I format the number as mm:ss, I still get the
hour showing when a number is entered.

I was hoping to use Degrees, Minutes, seconds instead of time, but I can't
find that number format.

Thanks for any advice.

DAB

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

Even if I format the number as mm:ss, I still get the
hour showing when a number is entered.

If you are talking about the appearance in the *cell*, that format should work.
Either you are not formatting the way you think you are, and/or you may be
entering data incorrectly.

If you are entering 1 min 32 sec, and your regional settings are US, enter it
as one of the following:

00:01:32
00:1:32
1:32.0

If your time may be equal to or more than 60 minutes, then use the format
[mm]:ss to show minutes greater than 59.

If you are talking about the display in the formula bar, I know of no way to
alter that.


--ron

 

[Dab]

Hi Ron:

Thanks for your note.

Yes, part of my problem is that working with the formual bar is troublesome
as it shows digits that I dont want.

I am entering data as you suggest, and the formatting of all the nubmers is
the same.

However, the problem doesn't end there

When I add 0:00:30 to 20:00:00 the result is: 44:00:30. Which is nuts!

Even if Excel treats 0:00:30 as 12:00:30 AM -as per the formula bar, then
when added to 20:00:00 the result should be 32:00:30. This doen't make any
sense.

No matter what format I choose, including custom options, I cant get either
h:mm:ss or mm:ss to show up properly in a cell.

Thanks for any futher advice.

Even if I format the number as mm:ss, I still get the
hour showing when a number is entered.

If you are talking about the appearance in the *cell*, that format should work.
Either you are not formatting the way you think you are, and/or you may be
entering data incorrectly.

If you are entering 1 min 32 sec, and your regional settings are US, enter it
as one of the following:

00:01:32
00:1:32
1:32.0

If your time may be equal to or more than 60 minutes, then use the format
[mm]:ss to show minutes greater than 59.

If you are talking about the display in the formula bar, I know of no way to
alter that.


--ron

 

[Dab]

Had some luck since my last note, but still having difficulty with 12:00:00
.. Excel is treating it as: "1/1/1900 12:00:00 AM". I can't get rid of the
date, and when I do some addition and subtraction, the result doesn not come
out as desired.

Aughhhhh!

Even if I format the number as mm:ss, I still get the
hour showing when a number is entered.

If you are talking about the appearance in the *cell*, that format should work.
Either you are not formatting the way you think you are, and/or you may be
entering data incorrectly.

If you are entering 1 min 32 sec, and your regional settings are US, enter it
as one of the following:

00:01:32
00:1:32
1:32.0

If your time may be equal to or more than 60 minutes, then use the format
[mm]:ss to show minutes greater than 59.

If you are talking about the display in the formula bar, I know of no way to
alter that.


--ron

 

[Ron Rosenfeld]

When I add 0:00:30 to 20:00:00 the result is: 44:00:30. Which is nuts!

I cannot reproduce that.

When I enter those numbers and add them together, I get 20:00:30


--ron