Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Calculating Time Differences between Two Machines.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated December 31, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Don has a computer that has access to several different servers over his office network. These servers do not have their clocks synchronized, and Don was wondering if there was a way, in VBA, to determine the time discrepancy between a given server and his machine.
In order to figure out the time discrepancy, you'll need to figure out two times—one on your machine and one on the server—and then compare them. Getting the time on your own machine is easy enough; just use the Time function in VBA. Getting the time on another machine is more difficult, as there is no built-in function that facilitates this task.
You can, however, use an API function call to determine the time on a remote server. Exactly how you would develop such a function call is beyond the scope of this tip, but you can find a pretty good tutorial online for accomplishing the task:
http://www.mvps.org/access/api/api0039.htm
Take a look at the page, and you can adapt the code to fit your needs. The fGetServerTime function returns a string that contains the complete date and time. You can then use the TimeValue function in your macro to convert this string into a native Excel time value. Once converted, you can compare the value to the internal system time to determine the discrepancy you need.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (3258) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Calculating Time Differences between Two Machines.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!
Excel stores dates and times internally using what is called a serial number. This tip explains how that serial number is ...
Discover MoreNeed to figure out when a fiscal year ends when that period does not correspond to the calendar year? Here are some ways ...
Discover MoreIt can be handy to know when specific weekdays occur within a range of dates. Figuring out this information, using ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here:
Comments