Now() function is not updating on new item to proper time

[BenHoople]

I'm writing this on my phone unfortunately

But I have a SharePoint list that has a datetime column. I need the default to equal the current time/date. Should be easy.

But I default it to today, and it is only correct for maybe the first record. Then it keeps that exact value, sometimes for days. It doesn't update.

I saw another post here that said =Value(now()) would work, but it's the same issue. 

Is this a known bug or am I going crazy?

This is a personal list and not a SharePoint list even though they're very close to the same thing that might change something?

[#2]

@BenHoople This is the default behavior in SharePoint. When you set the default value of date column to today's date, the value will be updated only when the new item is created (first time only). It does not change everyday or when you update the list item.

Additional:

Same happens with calculated columns as well. Calculated column values are calculated when:

• A new item is created
• An existing item is updated
• Calculated column formula is updated

See my answer given at: Impact on Performance of Calculated Columns 

---

Please click Mark as Best Response & Like if my post helped you to solve your issue. This will help others to find the correct solution easily. It also closes the item. If the post was useful in other ways, please consider giving it Like.

[#3]

@ganeshsanap 

So there is no possible way to make a field equal todays date/time consistently? Its not a calculated column, just a Date/Date and Time column with a default value. And it doesn't update when we create a new record. 

That seems like a massive oversight by Microsoft. Every other system I know can do this (NAV, BC, Access) I could even write it up in PHP or JS. 

Our page might be open for days at a time (we're running a facility and tracking events), and this is a very painful feature because it makes errors in data entry common. If there is a fix i would love to know, else i will have to move to the whole facility to another program. 

Its definetly not a problem with performance. the system stores the date, all the system needs to do is access System.Time and retrieve it. 

[#4]

@BenHoople you can do it in Power Apps. Or have a flow run once a day just after midnight to update the today's date column with today's date.

Rob
Los Gallardos
Intranet, SharePoint and Power Platform Manager (and classic 1967 Morris Traveller driver)