Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Calculating Time Differences between Two Machines.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 13, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
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 (9268) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Calculating Time Differences between Two Machines.
Dive Deep into Macros! Make Excel do things you thought were impossible, discover techniques you won't find anywhere else, and create powerful automated reports. Bill Jelen and Tracy Syrstad help you instantly visualize information to make it actionable. You’ll find step-by-step instructions, real-world case studies, and 50 workbooks packed with examples and solutions. Check out Microsoft Excel 2019 VBA and Macros today!
Make your macros too long, and Excel may just refuse to run them at all. This tip explains what the limit is for macros ...
Discover MoreMany times you need to select just the visible cells before taking some action. It is helpful to know how to make this ...
Discover MoreExcel allows you to add pictures to your worksheet, even within a macro. However, you might have a bit harder time ...
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 ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments