The Problem (Q-score 3, ranked #289th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)
The scenario as originally posted in 2014
On my 32-Bit PC, running Office 2003 Excel VBA, the following code
Debug.Print ""
Debug.Print Hex(&HFF00000 And &HF00000)
Debug.Print Hex(&HFF0000 And &HF0000)
Debug.Print Hex(&HFF000 And &HF000)
Debug.Print Hex(&HFF00 And &HF00)
Debug.Print Hex(&HFF0 And &HF0)
Debug.Print Hex(&HFF And &HF)
gives the following Output
F00000
F0000
FF000 '<- Here's the Anomaly
F00
F0
F
This Only seems to occur with the Hex Value “F”; ie substitute all the “F”‘s with any other Hex Digit and the Output will be as expected
Looks like some hangover from 16-Bit processing
My world has been shattered
I’m wondering if;
1) this really is an Anomaly (or am I going mad?)
if it is;
2) does it occur with other Office Versions
3) does it occur on 64-Bit PCs
4) what’s the most elegant work-around
Any clues would be appreciated
Why community consensus is tight on this one
Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.
The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+8)
Verbal answer — walkthrough without a code block
Note: the verified answer is a prose walkthrough. If you need a runnable sample, check Excel VBA entries ranked in the top 10 of the same archive.
For large hex numbers in VBA you need to append & (the long type character) to ensure it gets stored correctly as a long.
E.g. try this
Debug.Print &HF000, &HF000&
When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)
Ranked #289th in its category — specialized fit
This pattern sits in the 98% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.
What changed between 2014 and 2026
The answer is 12 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.