I am copying data from a program generated report (no control over
output format). It represents time however...it does not have the
underlying formatting associated with time. I have tried applying all
of the custom time formats and nothing converts this. As this copy,
paste, sum will be part of a macro...I am posting here for some
help.
0:07:04
0:12:30
0:13:50
0:00:00
0:03:37

If I try to key in the same information...after going back this is
what the cell looks like when I try to change...12:12:30 AM but it
displays simply as 00:12:30 - so this data will sum. Mine willl
not.

Is there a way to make the copied data know that it is really time and
should have the correct format?????

Your entries are text. Excel stores time as a number (a fraction of a day).
As an experiment I entered '0:07:04 into a cell. The apostrophe, of course,
makes it text and does not display. Next with that cell selected I used Data
| Text to Columns, delimited and in step 3 I specified it to be Date. Excel
does clever things in these circumstances and converted it to 7min 4 sec.
So try selecting a column,n of values and doing the same. Let us know what
happens
best wishes
--
Bernard V Liengme
Microsoft Excel MVP
http://people.stfx.ca/bliengme
remove caps from email

"JenIT" wrote in message
...
I am copying data from a program generated report (no control over
output format). It represents time however...it does not have the
underlying formatting associated with time. I have tried applying all
of the custom time formats and nothing converts this. As this copy,
paste, sum will be part of a macro...I am posting here for some
help.
0:07:04
0:12:30
0:13:50
0:00:00
0:03:37

If I try to key in the same information...after going back this is
what the cell looks like when I try to change...12:12:30 AM but it
displays simply as 00:12:30 - so this data will sum. Mine willl
not.

Is there a way to make the copied data know that it is really time and
should have the correct format?????

That did it!!! THANKS!!!!!!! Have a good weekend!