How to make Excel less presumptuous?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Robertsdvd
  • Start date Start date
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Robertsdvd

Ok, I have data ALREADY entered in cells... it was supposed to be
timecode - so for example 24:20:00 -- now when I try to edit this
string it changes it automatically to a date and a time... I DO NOT
WISH FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, it seems basic - is there a switch somewhere
to turn off the interpretation?! I tried converting the existing cells
to text and it then interprets it to a wild decimal unuseful to most
carbon-based lifeforms... I don't want stupid excel to interpret the
data for me, how do I turn this off?! HELP!
 
There is no time 24:20:00 if you mean that as hh:mm:ss. Twenty minutes past
midnight is 00:20:00.

It is not clear what you are trying to do. Perhaps if you could tell us, we
could help.
 
Try using a custom number format. I think [hh]:mm:ss should work for you. The [] prevents the hours from rolling over when you get to 24

Good Luck
Mark Graesse

----- Robertsdvd wrote: ----

Ok, I have data ALREADY entered in cells... it was supposed to b
timecode - so for example 24:20:00 -- now when I try to edit thi
string it changes it automatically to a date and a time... I DO NO
WISH FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, it seems basic - is there a switch somewher
to turn off the interpretation?! I tried converting the existing cell
to text and it then interprets it to a wild decimal unuseful to mos
carbon-based lifeforms... I don't want stupid excel to interpret th
data for me, how do I turn this off?! HELP
 
Robertsdvd said:
Ok, I have data ALREADY entered in cells... it was supposed to be
timecode - so for example 24:20:00 -- now when I try to edit this
string it changes it automatically to a date and a time... I DO NOT
WISH FOR THIS TO HAPPEN, it seems basic - is there a switch somewhere
to turn off the interpretation?! I tried converting the existing cells
to text and it then interprets it to a wild decimal unuseful to most
carbon-based lifeforms... I don't want stupid excel to interpret the
data for me, how do I turn this off?! HELP!
Click to expand...

24:20:00 as a time means 24 hours 20 minutes and 0 seconds. This is just a
particular way of displaying the number 1.01388888888889, which is a little
over 1 (as 24:20:00 is a little over 1 day). If you want to keep it as a
number (with the ability to do arithmetic), this is the definition you must
use. You can format as [hh]:mm:ss (rather than hh:mm:ss) to prevent wrapping
at 24 hours.

The alternative is to format as text, when whatever characters you type will
be displayed just as you type them. But you cannot then do arithmetic.

You can see whether your existing data is text or numeric using a formula
like =ISTEXT(A1).
 
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