WD: Formulas Incorrectly Calculate Times

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 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

   {=MAX(above)}

   {=MIN(above)}

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

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

Additional query words: paste function table format time max min sum formula calculation calculate add addition

Keywords          : kbfield macword98 winword macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a,98;WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug

Last Reviewed: December 6, 1998