Excel does not recognize hh:mm as time format

[levinberg_e]

Hi there,
When exporting data from a time logging software some columns are outputted as text containing times in HH:mm format ,
I want to convert these columns to a time format so that excel recognizes them as time and not text , however this does not work.
Even if I format these cells as custom time format HH:mm - the plain text still appears,
when I then try to change the cells to HH:mm:ss then the seconds do not appear - so I understand that excel has not recognized this as a time value?
any help on the simplest solution?

many thanks

 

[BSALV]

when you import your data, how do you do it ? It's there that you have to do it right.

you can enter the value 1 in an empty cell and then CTRL+C to copy, then select your range with time-strings and the paste special and multiply and you get your values. Now adjust again to numberformat hh:mm (you can also add 0)

 

[levinberg_e]

when you import your data, how do you do it ? It's there that you have to do it right.

you can enter the value 1 in an empty cell and then CTRL+C to copy, then select your range with time-strings and the paste special and multiply and you get your values. Now adjust again to numberformat hh:mm (you can also add 0)

HI thanks for your reply !
I dont quite understand the thechnique you are proposing , can you break it down into specific steps?
I am not strictly "importing" - I am exporting a .xls file from a web app - and so the file is basically just the exisitng file with all text formatting applied in the original.
thanks

 

[levinberg_e]

HI thanks for your reply !
I dont quite understand the thechnique you are proposing , can you break it down into specific steps?
I am not strictly "importing" - I am exporting a .xls file from a web app - and so the file is basically just the exisitng file with all text formatting applied in the original.
thanks

Ahh - i tried your technique and i worked - got it now/
many many thanks!