# Solved: Locking "Now" or "TODAY" FUNCTION IN Excel 2003



## zjoeyx (Aug 20, 2010)

How can I lock the "Now" or "TODAY" or "Date" FUNCTIONs IN Excel 2003?

This seems like it would be a simple solution as everybody that deals with Excel, at some point, would be interested in not having the dates you have entered with either function "Today" or "Now" NOT automatically change to the current date and time when you reload the workbook. But if it's a simple fix, I sure haven't been able to figure it out yet. Help!!!!!!!!!!! Go ahead and show me and make me feel like an idiot...

zjoeyx


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## Pedro15 (Oct 5, 2008)

The only way I know is to simply press Ctrl and ;(semi colon)

Pedro


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## zjoeyx (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks so much Pedro. Works like a charm. Now I can just make it a part of my macro. I would be interested in how you come to know this great keystroke - if you would share.

zjoeyx


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## Pedro15 (Oct 5, 2008)

Thanks.
By reading forums like this and Google.
I use it all the time, saves typing.

Pedro


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

Hi there, welcome to the board!

Typing it manually in is one way. If you want this to happen automatically, that is a different story. Of course if you have a formula and you want to manually make it a static value, just Copy and Paste Special/Values over the top of itself. Ctrl + C (to copy), then Alt + E, S, V, Enter (to Paste Special - Values). If you want any kind of automation with this behavior, you'll have to use VBA.

In reading your second post, if you want to "make it part of my macro", you'll be better off posting your entire macro, then posting a complete description of what it is you are trying to do. In VBA making the value static is as simple as _Range("A1").Value = Range("A1").Value_

HTH


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## turbodante (Dec 19, 2008)

As Zack says;

Ctrl + ; does not do as you'd expect when recorded as a macro.

To code this in VBA - something like _Range("C72").Value = Date_ is required.


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## Zack Barresse (Jul 25, 2004)

turbodante, you know what I've found, is sometimes (of course it very well could be just me) using _Date_ on it's own produces, eh, erroneous results? Have you ever found that? Ever since then I've started using, at least when I can remember, to use _VBA.Date()_ instead, to fully qualify it.


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## turbodante (Dec 19, 2008)

Thanks for the pointer Zack, I'll keep that in mind.:up:


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