[Caliwany]

I'm trying to use Excel to do some calcs and need to format the data that has already been inputed. I input data like so, "mm:ss". However, Excel reads this as, "hh:mm". Now I'm trying to convert data so that it reads "ss". Unfortunately, "0:59" reads as "3540" instead of "59". The same is true for all my data. For example, "3:47" formats to "13620" instead of "227". I'd rather be able to do this quickly instead of retyping all the data. My boss has changed her mind how the data needs to be calculated so any help is very much appreciated.

[fluoxet]

Can't you just change the cell properties? Right-click on the cell / columns / rows in question, change cell properties so it'll read the data the way you want it to?

[Caliwany]

That's what I've been trying. If I try to do a custom format it changes the data to seconds but it's reading the original data as hours:minutes instead of minutes:seconds so that when it changes the original data to seconds it's calculating the seconds that would be in 12 hours and 45 minutes instead of 12 minutes and 45 seconds.

This wasn't a problem when I was doing the calculations and didn't even realize that's how excel was reading the data. But now that I'm trying to convert the data to seconds it's a big problem.

[Mynameishappy]

I've infuriated myself with my inability to format up a mm:ss to just plain seconds as a number so how about a workaround instead.

If the values behind the formatting stays the same, ie for mm:ss = 01:30 that would be a value of 1.5.

Then could you format the cell up to just a general or bog standard number field and simply insert a column and apply a formula? =A1*60 -> 1.5*60 -> 90

Or am I thinking too simple? XD

[rsdefwgxvcfdts]

Is there a reason you can't take your numbers and just divide them by 60? e.g if 0:59 reads 3540 rather than 59 then just divide it by 60 to get 59?

Its late so forgive me if I've missed the point