WD: Formulas Incorrectly Calculate Times

 Last reviewed: February 3, 1998
Article ID: Q121310
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
  • Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a
  • Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
  • Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition

SYMPTOMS

The MAX and MIN functions display incorrect results when calculating numbers in a time format. For example, if you have the following column of numbers 

   0:11:30
   0:08:50
   0:02:01
   0:12:00
the MAX function, such as 

   {=MAX(above)}
will return a result of 58; the MIN function 

   {=MIN(above)}
will return a result of 3.

These incorrect results also occur when you use the SUM formula and you bookmark the times and reference the bookmark names in your formula.

CAUSE

Word interprets the colon as an operator for addition. In the above example, Word first adds 11 and 30, 8 and 50, 2 and 1, and 12 and 0. This computes to 41, 58, 3 and 12. The highest or MAX value equals 58; the lowest or MIN value equals 3. The SUM formula gives you the result of 114.

STATUS

We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

Additional query words: paste function table format time max min sum
formula calculation calculate add addition
Keywords : kbfield macword winword word6 word7 word95 word97 macword98
Version : MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a,98;WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a,97
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug

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Last reviewed: February 3, 1998
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