Excel 2003 =now() is returning wrong time on terminal server

[Peter J. Dickason, MCSE]

We have Excel 2003 installed on our Terminal Server/Citrix box. The servers
are in the EST timezone and work fine for EST clients. When CST clients (or
any other timezone than EST) uses a worksheet with =NOW, it computes time
from EST. We've had to use the formula =now()-0.042 to compensate. This
problem is specific to Excel as Word, IE and even typing in 'Time' from the
command prompt returns the correct time computed with the Central time zone.
How do I correct this?

thanks
Pete

 

[JoeU2004]

We've had to use the formula =now()-0.042 to compensate.

First of all, do your clients a favor and use =NOW()-TIME(1,0,0) to
compensate. 0.042 is only an approximation of one hour. The difference is
only about 29 seconds. But why not do it right?

We have Excel 2003 installed on our Terminal
Server/Citrix box. The servers are in the EST
timezone and work fine for EST clients. When CST
clients [...] uses a worksheet with =NOW, it computes
time from EST.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you. And I no longer have access to Citrix
experts.

If no one helps you here, I suggest that you try posting to
microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services. And of course, it would be
prudent to contact Citrix customer support.

This problem is specific to Excel as Word, IE and even
typing in 'Time' from the command prompt returns the
correct time computed with the Central time zone.

So I suspect there is something in the Citrix or Terminal Services user
environment, perhaps a TZ variable?

Are you sure you tried Excel from the same user login for which Word, IE and
"time" work?


----- original message -----

 

[JoeU2004]

PS....

do your clients a favor and use =NOW()-TIME(1,0,0)
to compensate. 0.042 is only an approximation of
one hour. The difference is only about 29 seconds.

Or =NOW()-1/24. The issue is not accuracy so much as it is ease of
maintenance and understanding. I think TIME(n,0,0) is much easier to
understand, remember and modify for other timezones than even n/24. And
both TIME(n,0,0) and n/24 are probably easier to remember than 0.042*n or,
worse, 0.042, 0.083, 0.125 etc.

So I suspect there is something in the Citrix or
Terminal Services user environment

I am no expert on Windows or Terminal Services and Citrix. But the more I
read about TS by poking around, the more convinced I am that this has to do
with the TS usage, not Excel. For example, one of the Group Policy Settings
is Allow Time Zone Redirection, described as: "Specifies whether to allow
the client computer to redirect its time zone settings to the Terminal
Services session".

Repost to microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services, and hopefully someone
can help you there.


----- original message -----

We've had to use the formula =now()-0.042 to compensate.

First of all, do your clients a favor and use =NOW()-TIME(1,0,0) to
compensate. 0.042 is only an approximation of one hour. The difference
is only about 29 seconds. But why not do it right?

We have Excel 2003 installed on our Terminal
Server/Citrix box. The servers are in the EST
timezone and work fine for EST clients. When CST
clients [...] uses a worksheet with =NOW, it computes
time from EST.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you. And I no longer have access to Citrix
experts.

If no one helps you here, I suggest that you try posting to
microsoft.public.windows.terminal_services. And of course, it would be
prudent to contact Citrix customer support.

This problem is specific to Excel as Word, IE and even
typing in 'Time' from the command prompt returns the
correct time computed with the Central time zone.

So I suspect there is something in the Citrix or Terminal Services user
environment, perhaps a TZ variable?

Are you sure you tried Excel from the same user login for which Word, IE
and "time" work?


----- original message -----

We have Excel 2003 installed on our Terminal Server/Citrix box. The
servers are in the EST timezone and work fine for EST clients. When CST
clients (or any other timezone than EST) uses a worksheet with =NOW, it
computes time from EST. We've had to use the formula =now()-0.042 to
compensate. This problem is specific to Excel as Word, IE and even
typing in 'Time' from the command prompt returns the correct time
computed with the Central time zone. How do I correct this?

thanks
Pete

 

[Peter J. Dickason, MCSE]

Thanks Joe, will do