September 17, 2025NR

[SOLVED] How to insert todays time or date automatically anywhere into an Excel spreadsheet

Can Excel insert today’s date or time automatically?

Yes! Excel has built-in shortcuts ("Ctrl + ;" AND "Ctrl + Shift + ;") that let you quickly stamp today’s date, the current time, or even add them inside a cell that already contains text. This means you can keep accurate logs, time-stamp notes, or track when actions happened, all without complicated formulas or macros.

How to insert today’s date in Excel

To instantly insert today’s date into any cell:

Click into the cell where you want the date.
Press Ctrl + ; (Control key plus semicolon).

This stamps today’s date (e.g. 16/09/2025) as a fixed value that will not change the next day.

How to insert the current time in Excel

To insert the current time:

Click into the cell where you want the time.
Press Ctrl + Shift + ; (Control + Shift + semicolon).

This stamps the exact time (e.g. 14:37) at the moment you press the keys.

Pro tip: To add both date and time in the same cell, press Ctrl + ;, then type a space, then press Ctrl + Shift + ;.

Q: Can you insert the time or date into a cell that already has text?

A: Yes! These shortcuts work even inside text-filled cells. For example, if you’re using a cell as a running log, simply type your note, then press Ctrl + Shift + ; to append the time. Excel will add the time right where your cursor is, without overwriting your text.

Example:

Called client at 10:23
Sent email 11:05

FAQ

Does inserting today’s date or time using the shortcut update automatically the next day?

No. Using these shortcuts stamps a fixed value (static). If you want a cell to always show the live date or time, you’d use formulas like =TODAY() or =NOW(), but those will update continuously.

Can I add both date and time in one shortcut?

Not directly. But you can combine the two: press Ctrl + ; for date, type a space, then press Ctrl + Shift + ; for time.

Does inserting today’s date or time via shortcut work in Excel for Mac?

Yes, though the shortcut may vary slightly depending on your keyboard layout.
On most Macs, use:
Cmd + ; for date and
Cmd + Shift + ; for time.

Does inserting today’s date or time via shortcut work on all versions of Excel?

Pretty much any modern version, or Microsoft 365 version, has this feature enabled. We did our testing on Microsoft® Excel® for Microsoft 365 MSO (Version 2508 Build 16.0.19127.20192) – last checked as of 16/06/2025.

Conclusion

So, can you insert today’s date or the current time anywhere in an Excel spreadsheet? Yes, absolutely. With just two simple shortcuts, Ctrl + ; and Ctrl + Shift + ;, you can time-stamp logs, add accurate dates to records, or keep a detailed audit trail directly inside your worksheets. These tips work whether the cell is empty or already contains text, making them perfect for quick note-taking or tracking tasks inside Excel.

Mastering these keyboard tricks saves time, prevents errors, and helps you use Excel like a pro, without relying on security nightmares like macros or digging into complex and easily forgotten formulas. If you’re looking for more simple productivity tips, keep exploring here on CannotDisplay.com

August 10, 2023NR

[Solved] Clicking on Tailscale icon does not let me login

Occasionally i have come accross a Tailscale client that does not initially want to display the log in page.

I originally also tried running CLI commands like “tailscale up –authkey xxxxxxxxxx” as well – it seems to hang.

So when CLI and clicking on the icon in the taskbar via the GUI to log in doesn’t work – Check your network cards!
This is usually caused when Tailscale cannot tell which network card has priority.

On Windows:

Win + R //to open run
ncpa.cpl //to open the network settings
Select main network card
Open Properties, then IPv4
Click on Advanced, untick ‘Automatic Metric
Set to 10.

setting network card interface metric to solve tailscale issues

Try again. Chances are, tailscale will now let you login and generate the login page popup allowing sign on. Authkey authentication should also now work.

February 21, 2018NR

[SOLVED] Manually Register Acronis Backup Client for Backup Cloud

Manually Register Acronis Backup

Occasionally a backup client will disconnect, or cannot connect in the first place to obtain its backup set and process its jobs.
With pre-provisioning systems, this is often the case for certainly Mac and Linux machines.

Solution

(!) IMPORTANT: This method is NOT supported for registration of Agent for VMware (Windows)

Manually Register Acronis Backup client.
Use quotation marks, if your password contains special characters or spaces.

Windows OS
1. Open Command prompt and navigate to C:\Program Files\BackupClient\BackupAndRecovery:
cd “C:\Program Files\BackupClient\BackupAndRecovery”
2. Issue this command to register the client machine:
register_msp_mms.exe register https://cloud.acronis.com

Linux OS
1. Open terminal as root user
2. Type in the following command to register the agent:
/usr/lib/Acronis/BackupAndRecovery/AmsRegisterHelper register https://cloud.acronis.com

OS X
1. Open terminal.
2. Execute:
sudo -u root “/Library/Application Support/BackupClient/Acronis/BackupAndRecovery/AmsRegisterHelper” register https://cloud.acronis.com

From

NB: if you are outwith the normal Acronis Data Centres, as i was, then replace the cloud.acronis.com URL with the URL you use to log into your dashboard. i.e. https://eu-cloud.acronis.com

April 13, 2017NR

Acronis error 1603 [SOLVED]

So I have been installing alot of Acronis Agents recently, and three times i have come across Acronis error 1603.

Whilst there is lots of different info out there to try to resolve this issue, i have found one that has worked every time in multiple different environments. Lets get straight to it:

To solve Acronis error 1603:

Simply run the cleanup tool. It can be found here:

http://dl.acronis.com/u/support/abr_cleanup_h.exe

And run it from administrative CMD using the following command:
abr_cleanup_h.exe --clean

Hope it helps, if it does, let me know!

August 17, 2015nick

ownCloud server replied: Forbidden (ownCloud Forbidden)

I recently installed the latest version of ownCloud. A self hosted cloud platform for syncing all your favourite documents and files you may need to access from elsewhere.

The install was easy enough – See other post – however i did then encounter a few issues when using the Windows sync software,

Here is what i had to do to fix a: “ownCoud server replied: Forbidden” ownCloud Forbidden error.

(Well hopefully it works for you also! )

I had to do 2 things in order to get this installed:

The first error i got was;
“download of ownCloud source file failed.
SSL certificate problem: self signed certificate in certificate chainSSL certificate problem: self signed certificate in certificate chain”

The solution i found here was to add the below into my installer.php :

curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_CERTINFO, FALSE);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, FALSE);

This allowed me to start the install, and then supply it with my DB creds and table to get started.

The second error, was only once i had set up my default file structure using the web interface and finally installed the desktop based client was the aforementioned ownCloud Forbidden error.

The solution? After endless hours of scrolling through countless Forums and the full ownCloud documentation;

In plain text, to show spydah’s fix to an ownCloud Forbidden error:

Simply add the following to your .htaccess file:

<Limit GET POST>
order allow,deny
allow from all
</Limit>
<Limit PUT DELETE>
order allow,deny
allow from all
</Limit>

Done. Sorted. finally!

May 8, 2015nick

Resolve Logmein Error 4320 (Method 2)

Another way to resolve Logmein Error 4320

As discussed in my previous article on this logmein issue, this error code is most commonly found in a domain environment, or where there may be some form of user lockdown, and may even occur on a multi user non domain PC.

Basically, it is meant to protect the users PC from being accessed by someone other than the logged in user who installed logmein in the first place.

First off, lets open up the logmein Control Panel (Right-Click on the logmein icon in the taskbar, or open from the start menu)
Next we are going to select ‘Options’
Then ‘Preferences’
Select the ‘Security tab’
Click on ‘Show Details’
Click on Browse and select the correct user you want to add to allow access to the PC. You can choose from a list either by selecting the local PC name, or if you are on a domain, then the domain name that the PC is registered with.
Click OK to close all windows, Turn off Logmein then turn it back on,
You are good to go!

Preventative measures could be taken however, When installing logmein, if you do so whilst logged in as a local admin for the PC, this seems to resolve the issue. Please note, this is only for the LOCAL admin for the PC, a domain admin account will most likely not work, and provide the same Logmein error 4320 as discussed above.

May 4, 2015nick

Resolve Logmein Error 4320 (Method 1)

How to resolve Logmein Error 4320

Whilst setting up logmein for remote access in a pretty locked down domain environment, I have noticed that quite frequently we would get an ‘admin error 4320’ on the remote users PC.

Now the official logmein site would suggest adding users within the logmein interface, which we will cover in ‘Method 2’ however I have found a quicker workaround that works 9 out of 10 times is by simply always running the program as administrator.

Place the Logmein icon either on your desktop or navigate to the program folder path usually “C:\Program Files (x86)\LogMeIn Ignition”
Right click on the icon and select ‘Properties
Once in Properties select the ‘Compatibility’ tab at the top
At the bottom under ‘Privilege level’ tick the ‘Run this program as Administrator’ box*.
If you have more than 1 user on the PC, select ‘Change settings for all users’
Again tick the ‘Run this program as Administrator’ box
OK out of both windows, If logmein is running. Close it again and re-open it, now using an Administrative logon.

Your Logmein error 4320 should now be resolved. if not see the link below

Logmein Error 4320 Method 2

*If the ‘Privilege level’ box is greyed out, be sure that you are logged on as an administrative user, or log off and back on as one in order to continue.