Hello, I am a self taught Excel user so I apologise if the answer to my query is a simple one. I can do basic things but one simple calculation is eluding me and I’ve spent hours trying to sort it. I have a simple spreadsheet that calculates (amongst many other things) time in hours and minutes. This works fine providing there are positive values in the answer however, i cannot get it to show negative values. eg 12 hrs + 4 hrs = 16 hrs - ok. But if its 12 hrs minus 13 hrs it can't do anything with it and just shows '##########'. I can't believe it can't be done some how. Please can someone help. Roadrunner

'##########' Is simply showing that the value in that cell is larger in width then the displayed width of your column. Expand the width of the column so you can see the entire value within it. Let's say your noted cell is A1. Move the cursor over and in between columns A and B and then double click it. It will auto expand to the width of the largest value in any cell within that column. HTH Bryan

Hi Bryan, Thanks for the reply, if only it was that simple. I know about the '####' when the data is larger than the cell, but this is what you also get when the cell contains a negative time value. If you hold the cursor over the cell a popup tells me that 'negative dates and times are displayed as ######’. Try it yourself and see what you get. Do I have to calculate it in a different way? I don't know, but there must be a way of displaying it or am I drifting off into Martyn's world again where when it comes to computing all things are possible! Roadrunner

If you change the format of the ####### cell to a number, then the result will be stated in terms of number of days which overcomes the negative problem. By multiplying by 24 you can convert this to hours, with a little manipulation this can be converted to minutes/seconds Cliff

Thanks Cliff that seems to work ok. Do you know if the =TEXT(),"h:mm" formula can be adapted to work with negative values? Martyn Roadrunner

Martyn Sorry I don't know how. Cliff