Question
We have a column of cells in an Excel spreadsheet containing times like, 3:15, relating to the time spent on a task. At the bottom of the column I’ve used AutoSum to add up the times, but the result appears as either a date or funny number. What do I do to get a total in hours and minutes?
Answer
The formula you created with AutoSum is fine.
All you need do is apply an appropriate format to its result:
- Select the cell containing the total
- From the Format menu, choose the Cells command
- From the Category list, select Custom
- In the Type box, input the format [h]:mm
(note the use of square brackets).
If you want to show seconds in your total, input
[h]:mm:ss
(this format is listed in Excel’s Custom formats) - Click OK.
