How to synchronize the time on your computer with the server. How to synchronize time on a computer with the Internet

Good afternoon, dear readers and guests of the blog site, how much people talk about time, that it passes quickly or slowly, and everyone understands that it is priceless and important. The same goes for infrastructure. Active Directory, it is one of the most important factors for the proper functioning of the domain. Everyone in the domain trusts each other, and having logged in once and received all the tickets from Kerberos, the user can go anywhere, limited only by his available rights. So, if you do not have the exact time on your workstations to the domain controller, then you can assume that you are starting to have serious problems, which we will talk about below and look at how to fix them using NTP server settings in Windows.

Time synchronization in Active Directory

The following time synchronization scheme operates among computers participating in Active Directory.

The root domain controller in the AD forest, which owns the FSMO role of the PDC emulator (let's call it the root PDC), is the time source for all other controllers in this domain.
Child domain controllers synchronize time with domain controllers that are higher in the AD topology.
Ordinary domain members (servers and workstations) synchronize their time with the nearest available domain controller, respecting the AD topology.

The root PDC can synchronize its time with both external source, and with itself, the latter is set by the default configuration and is absurd, as errors in the system log periodically hint at.

Synchronization of clients of the root PDC can be carried out both from its internal clock and from an external source. In the first case, the root PDC time server declares itself as “reliable”.

Next, I will give the optimal configuration for the root PDC time server, from my point of view, in which the root PDC itself periodically synchronizes its time from a reliable source on the Internet, and the time of clients accessing it synchronizes with its internal clock.

Enter netdom query fsmo. In my example, the role of PDC and NTP server belongs to the dc7 controller

NTP server configuration on root PDC

Configuring a time server in Windows (NTP server) can be done either using a command line utility w32tm, and through the registry. Where possible, I will present both options. But first, look at your settings on your computer in full, this is done with the command:

w32tm /query /configuration

EventLogFlags: 2 (Local)
AnnounceFlags: 10 (Local)
TimeJumpAuditOffset: 28800 (Local)
MinPollInterval: 6 (Local)
MaxPollInterval: 10 (Local)
MaxNegPhaseCorrection: 172800 (Local)
MaxPosPhaseCorrection: 172800 (Local)
MaxAllowedPhaseOffset: 300 (Local)

FrequencyCorrectRate: 4 (Local)
PollAdjustFactor: 5 (Local)
LargePhaseOffset: 50000000 (Local)
SpikeWatchPeriod: 900 (Local)
LocalClockDispersion: 10 (Local)
HoldPeriod: 5 (Local)
PhaseCorrectRate: 7 (Local)
UpdateInterval: 100 (Local)

NtpClient (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 1 (Local)
CrossSiteSyncFlags: 2 (Local)
ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes: 15 (Local)
ResolvePeerBackoffMaxTimes: 7 (Local)
CompatibilityFlags: 2147483648 (Local)
EventLogFlags: 1 (Local)
LargeSampleSkew: 3 (Local)
SpecialPollInterval: 3600 (Local)
Type: NT5DS (Local)

NtpServer (Local)
DllName: C:\Windows\system32\w32time.dll (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 0 (Local)
AllowNonstandardModeCombinations: 1 (Local)

VMICTimeProvider (Local)
DllName: C:\Windows\System32\vmictimeprovider.dll (Local)
Enabled: 1 (Local)
InputProvider: 1 (Local)

Enable synchronization of the internal clock with an external source

Enabling the NTP server

The NTP server is enabled by default on all domain controllers, but it can also be enabled on member servers.

Specifying a list of external sources for synchronization

The 0x8 flag at the end means that synchronization should occur in NTP client mode, at the time intervals suggested by this server. In order to set your own synchronization interval, you must use the 0x1 flag.

Setting the synchronization interval with an external source

Time in seconds between polling the synchronization source, default 900s = 15min. Works only for sources marked with the 0x1 flag.

"SpecialPollInterval"=dword:00000384

Setting the minimum positive and negative correction

The maximum positive and negative time correction (the difference between the internal clock and the synchronization source) in seconds, above which synchronization does not occur. I recommend the value 0xFFFFFFFF, at which correction can always be made.

"MaxPosPhaseCorrection"=dword:FFFFFFFF
"MaxNegPhaseCorrection"=dword:FFFFFFFF

Everything you need in one line

w32tm.exe /config /manualpeerlist:"time.nist.gov,0x8 ntp1.imvp.ru,0x8 ntp2.imvp.ru,0x8 time.windows.com,0x8 pool.ntp.org,0x8" /syncfromflags:manual / reliable:yes /update

Useful commands

Applying changes made to the time service configuration
w32tm /config /update
Force sync from source
w32tm /resync /rediscover
Displaying the synchronization status of domain controllers in a domain
w32tm/monitor
Display current sync sources and their status
w32tm /query /peers

Configuring NTP server and client using Group Policy

Since you and I have an Active Directory domain, it would be stupid not to use group policies to mass customization servers and workstations, I will show you how to configure your NTP server in Windows and client. Open the “Group Policy Editor” snap-in. Before setting up our NTP server in Windows, we need to create a WMI filter that will apply the policy only to the PDC master server.

Enter the request name, namespace, the value will be “root\CIMv2” and the request “Select * from Win32_ComputerSystem where DomainRole = 5”. Let's save it.

Then you create a policy on the Domain Controllers container.

At the very bottom of the policy, apply your created WMI filter.

Go to the branch: Computer Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > System > Windows Time Service > Time Providers.

Here we open the “Configure Windows NTP client” policy. Set the parameters

NtpServer: 0.ru.pool.ntp.org,0x1 1.ru.pool.ntp.org,0x1 2.ru.pool.ntp.org,0x1 3.ru.pool.ntp.org,0x1
Type: NTP
CrossSiteSyncFlags: 2. Two means if this parameter is 2 (All), any synchronization participant can be used. This value is ignored unless NT5DS is specified. Default value: 2 (decimal) (0x02 (hex))
ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes: 15. This value, expressed in minutes, determines how long the W32time service waits before attempting to resolve a DNS name if it fails. Default value: 15 minutes
Resolve Peer BAckoffMaxTimes: 7 This value determines the number of DNS name resolution attempts that the W32time service makes before restarting the discovery process. Each time a DNS name resolution fails, the wait time before the next attempt is doubled. Default value: seven attempts.
SpecilalPoolInterval: 3600 This NTP client parameter value, expressed in seconds, determines how often it polls a manually configured time source that uses a specific polling interval. If the NTPServer parameter is set to the SpecialInterval flag, the client uses the value specified as SpecialPollInterval instead of the MinPollInterval and MaxPollInterval values to determine how often to poll the time source. Default value: 3600 seconds (1 hour).
EventLogFlags: 0

Let's make a separate one group policy for client working machines, with these parameters.

NtpServer: The address of your domain controller with the PDC role.
Type: NT5DS
CrossSiteSyncFlags: 2
ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes: 15
Resolve Peer BAckoffMaxTimes: 7
SpecilalPoolInterval: 3600
EventLogFlags: 0

By Windows default can synchronize computer time with accurate clock through the Internet. If computers local network united into a domain, then the exact time is taken from the domain controller, and the domain controller takes exact time from the Internet.

The problem of time synchronization on local network computers arises when there is no Internet at all or it is turned off for ideological reasons. In the latter case, you can allow the passage of the NTP protocol (port 123 UDP) for all devices on the local network on the router/firewall.

IN worst case you can force all computers on the local network to synchronize time with one computer, let's call it a local time server.

Setting up a local time server

Absolutely any computer running Windows can be a local time server; you just need to tweak the registry a little. Open the registry editor (regedit), follow the path HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer and set the parameter value Enabled equal 1 .

Open a command prompt and restart the Windows service with the command

If you are too lazy to tinker with the command line, you can simply restart your computer.

Our server is ready.

Where you will get time for the server is your business: whether through the Internet, or by hand.

Setting up time synchronization on computers

To simply take and synchronize time with an exact time server you only need command line dial:

net time\\time_server_computer_name /set

Open the command line and write the following there:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:192.168.1.1

Here we indicate the exact time servers of our local network. There may be several of them, then we list everything separated by commas without a space.

Then we give the command

w32tm /config /update

After that, among all the exact time servers, we indicate the priority one. In our example there is only one, so we write it:

net time /setsntp:192.168.1.1

Restart the Windows Time service

net stop w32time && net start w32time

And synchronize

w32tm/resync

After these manipulations, the computer itself will synchronize the time with the server. The issue is resolved!

Andriy Karashchuk

To synchronize time in Windows, you can use a built-in system service called Windows Time Service.

Specifying a time server for synchronization:

The first thing you need to do is configure this service. In its settings, you must specify an NTP server (NTP - Network Time Protocol) or a list of time servers that will be used for synchronization. You can do this from the command console (cmd.exe) with the following command:

net time /setsntp:ntp.site

In the /setsntp key, after the colon, the server or list of time servers is indicated. You can specify servers either by name (see the example above) or by IP address. If you specify a list of several servers, then you need to enclose this list in quotes, separating the servers in the list with spaces. Example:

net time /setsntp:"1.1.1.1 2.2.2.2"

When specifying a list of several servers, synchronization will be performed on the first server in the list; if this server turns out to be unavailable, then the second one, etc.

Console command

net time /querysntp

displays the current list of servers that are installed for time synchronization. Run this command in the Shell and verify that the time server (or list of servers) is specified correctly.

It is enough to configure the time service once; the configured parameters of this service are saved in the system registry and are used for all subsequent time synchronizations. Therefore, there is no need to re-specify the NTP server and other parameters of the Windows time service before each time synchronization.

Starting the Time Service

Once the server (list of servers) for clock synchronization has been specified, you can start the time service itself so that it automatically performs periodic synchronization system clock with the specified server.

The time service can be started manually, for example, with the command from the Shell:

net start w32time

Or run it through the service management snap-in (Win+R --> services.msc). It is also better to configure the automatic launch of this service through the service management snap-in (Startup type: Auto). This is necessary so that you don’t have to start the time service manually every time, i.e. so that every time the system boots, this service automatically starts and is always running for regular time synchronization.

By default, time synchronization occurs when the time service starts, and then every 45 minutes. After three successful synchronizations, further synchronization is performed every 8 hours. The synchronization frequency can be changed if desired.

Note 1: Some operations related to clock synchronization and the time service (in particular, its configuration) can be performed using the built-in system console utility w32tm.exe. For example, the command (in the console) w32tm -period sets the frequency of clock synchronization, and the w32tm -once command performs a one-time synchronization of the system clock with the time server (the time service may not be running, but the server must already be specified in its settings time for synchronization). For more detailed information For the w32tm utility, see (in the console): w32tm /?

Although a computer is a precision machine, its clock (like any other) can be slow or fast. To prevent such incidents, time synchronization using the Windows Time service is necessary.

According to a given schedule, the OS checks the clock with the server specified in the settings. If the values are not equal, the system adjusts the indicators. Initially, the configuration already contains several addresses.

How to synchronize time on a computer

For one-time synchronization, you need to do the following: Left click on the Windows clock.

The "Change date and time settings" button will open the settings window. Next, you need to go to the “Internet Time” tab. It will display the server address specified in the settings and the last date of synchronization.

By clicking on "Change settings", you can update the time.

Function Automation

To synchronize your computer's time with the Internet automatically, just check the only box in the last window. If it is impossible to connect to the north or an error occurs when updating the time, then you can select one of the additional servers, fortunately the OS provides a choice of as many as 5, or find and enter it in the “server” line.

Be careful, the last selected server will remain in the default settings, the operating system will work with it and will automatically synchronize the time on the computer with the Internet.

Command Line Tools

It is not always convenient to use graphical system configuration tools. For example, if the window is overloaded with text: the eyes try to find the right button, but everything merges into one monotonous image. And entering a couple of commands is faster than frequently moving the mouse cursor from one corner of the window to another.

To synchronize the time on your computer with the Internet using the command line, open the Start menu and select Run, or simply press Win + R on your keyboard. In the line of the window that opens, write cmd, and then press Enter. This will take you to the command line, the following command will update the time on the local computer with the server installed by default:

w32tm/resync.

To configure the server that the system will use to synchronize time between local computer with the Internet, run the commands:

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:[server for synchronization] /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes (this command sets the server whose time will be used for updates);
w32tm /config /update (message to the time service that the settings have changed);
net stop w32time && net start w32time (service restart).

- is it too difficult?

Windows is an OS whose functionality can be expanded with additional applications. If you experience difficulties setting up the time update, then you can use the simplest option - download a program that will take many steps on its own and require minimal intervention. Moreover, such programs allow you to synchronize time with greater accuracy than standard means systems. Often they can take into account delays in receiving and sending packets and obtain server addresses from lists on the Internet.

Undocumented settings

By default, the period with which Windows, after setting it up, will synchronize the time on the computer with the Internet is a week. Sometimes this interval needs to be reduced, but the built-in tools do not allow the necessary configuration. The registry will help.

To launch the registry, type regedit in the Run window and press Enter. Go to the HKEYLM branch, in it you need to expand the SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient directory. Find the SpecialPollInterval parameter. It will already contain the value 604800. It is in this number of seconds that one week passes. If you change this number to 3600, the synchronization time will be one hour.

It is not recommended to enter values less than an hour and more than a day in this column. Small values will significantly increase Internet traffic. In addition, if you try to synchronize the time every few seconds, the server will block your IP. Large values may not achieve maximum system clock accuracy. After making the changes, enter the characters net stop w32time && net start w32time into the command line.

The local network

If you have several computers at home or in an office connected via a local network, you can use one as an accurate time server. Synchronization with the time of a PC connected to a local network is carried out in the same way as with servers on the Internet. But first you have to run NTP server on a computer whose time will be used by other network participants.

To do this, open the registry and edit the HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer section. In it, the Enabled key needs to be set to 1, then restart Windows service time from the command line by typing net stop w32time, and after execution, net start w32time.

Remember that the PC is now used by other network users as a reference, do not forget to check its performance from time to time. You can check whether the server is turned on with the w32tm /query /configuration command. An Enabled value of 1 indicates that everything is fine with the server.

Don’t forget to synchronize the time on your computer with the Internet, because now if the clock runs ahead or is too behind on it, this will affect all users.

In fact, synchronizing time in Windows 7 is very simple. Now you can see this for yourself.

The first thing you will need is access to the Internet. If you are already online, then just follow a few steps.

Click on the clock located in the system tray.

A window will appear "Date and time" with three tabs. You need to go to the tab "Time on the Internet."(By the way, the word “Internet” is written with a small letter).

Which server should I synchronize time with?

So, you have switched to the “Internet Time” tab. Most users have their computer set by default to automatically synchronize with the time.windows.com server.

You can specify another server, to do this, click on the button "Change settings."

In the window that appears, you can click on the button "Update Now" to check the Microsoft time server.

Or select another time server from the drop-down list.

On my computer, the time was not updated automatically because ESET ENDPOINT ANTIVIRUS, bundled with the firewall, is in training mode. So I clicked on the button and created a rule to allow time synchronization. Now the time will synchronize automatically.

Gajus/Shutterstock

What does setting the date and time look like in Windows 10

How to make time synchronize more often

By default, the automatic time synchronization process in Windows occurs once a week. If you need to update more often, you need to make an edit in the system registry.

Click on the Start menu button.
Open the Run window.
At the command line, type regedit and click "OK".
Go to this registry hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SYSTEM → ControlSet001 → Services → W32Time → TimeProviders → NtpClient

Parameter SpecialPollInterval contains the value 604800. This is the number of seconds in one week.

If you want to synchronize your watch daily, then change it to the appropriate value. It is calculated as follows: 24×60×60 = 86400 seconds.

That's all. Now your computer will always have the exact time.

Date: 2013-05-31

This article will talk about time synchronization in Windows XP. In Windows XP it is possible to set the period time synchronization systems with Internet time via NTP (Network Time Protocol). In addition, I will add that not only Windows XP has this ability, but also all operating systems from Windows family released later.

It is possible to change the synchronization period through the Windows XP registry in the branch

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Services/W32Time/TimeProviders/NTPClient

The value of the synchronization period is determined by the SpecialPollInterval parameter. By default, this parameter is set to 3600 in decimal notation. This parameter is specified in seconds.

Suppose there is a need to set the synchronization period to 1 day or 24 hours. The arithmetic of calculating the required value is simple here.

1 minute = 60 seconds 1 hour = 60 minutes Number of seconds in 1 hour = 60 seconds * 60 minutes = 3600 seconds Number of seconds in 24 hours = 3600 seconds * 24 hours = 86400 seconds

Parameter value SpecialPollInterval can be specified both in decimal and hexadecimal. Interval SpecialPollInterval at 24 hours in hexadecimal number system is equal to 15180. So, we set the parameter SpecialPollInterval calculated value of the 24 hour interval.

In order not to tinker with the registry and not to edit these values manually every time, it will be easier to do this once and then export this registry branch and edit it manually, leaving only the parameter with the value SpecialPollInterval. As a result, you should get something like this. Or, if you automate even more, you can create and subsequently launch something like this.

To check the functionality of the above, go to “Start” - “Control Panel”. In the menu that opens, you need to switch to the classic view. Select the “Date and Time” menu. A window called “Properties: Date and Time” will open. At the top we find a tab called “Internet Time” and go to it. If the elements of the tab are not active, then to activate, check the box “Synchronize with an Internet time server.” In the “Server” field, select one of several servers with which time will be synchronized.

As servers time synchronization With the Internet, by default there are already standard servers time.windows.com and time.nist.gov. Moreover, the “Server” field displays the server with which the last time synchronization was successful. This server is remembered by the system automatically.

After clicking on the “Update Now” button, time synchronization should occur and below the message “Time has been successfully synchronized with SERVER NAME” and even lower “Next synchronization execution: TOMORROW DAY.MONTH.YEAR in HOURS.MINUTES” will be displayed.

If the message displays “Error synchronizing with SERVER NAME,” then you should check your Internet connection; the connection may be lost. If the Internet connection exists, you should try again, and if the result is the same, then in the “Server” field you need to try changing the server to another and try again.

If during the update the result is again with an error, then most likely the problem is in the antivirus, or rather in its firewall (firewall), which blocks the port through which the PC connects to the NTP server. The standard Windows firewall (Firewall) does not block these ports, unless of course you force it to do so.

So, to make sure that the antivirus is blocking or not blocking the connection to the NTP server, there are 2 solutions to this dilemma:

1. If you are a pro in setting up your antivirus software, then you can check firewall antivirus and configure filtering in it.

2. If your antivirus software settings allow, then disable the firewall in it for a while. If for some reason this cannot be done, then you can try to temporarily suspend the operation of the antivirus itself and check the time synchronization with the Internet. The most important thing after checking is not to forget to turn on what you turned off.

Add a new NTP server time synchronization from the Internet it is possible through the same Windows registry. Moreover, this can be done even without access to the Internet. Synchronization server values are stored in the section

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/DateTime/Servers

To add a server, you need to create a string parameter (type REG_SZ) with the following sequence number in this registry branch and enter the name of the NTP server in the value of the new created parameter.

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There are several ways to synchronize the time on your computer with Internet Windows 10. But not all of them give permanent effect. Some options allow you to restore the clock only for a certain period, after which the system begins to work incorrectly and automatically transfers several hours in one direction or the other.

To synchronize, the computer must be connected to the Internet to communicate with the server. Then, when a request is sent, a response is sent, which carries data about the exact value. The user can independently send requests, configure automatic synchronization with a certain period and select servers to obtain the most accurate time value.

How to sync

If on Windows 10 time synchronization via the Internet is carried out at a time, then for this you must follow the following sequence of actions:

Hover over the time and click left button mice.
Open the “Date and time settings” section.
In the window that opens, find the “Clock synchronization” block.
Click on the “Synchronize” button.

After this, the computer will be set to the value from the Windows server.

How to reduce the update time interval

The standard resynchronization period for setting time over the Internet is one week. To reduce this value, you need to use the registry. The standard functionality, created for the average user, does not offer such an opportunity.

To launch the registry, enter “regedit” in the command prompt window and press Enter. Next, you need to open the HKEYLM branch and follow the path: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient. Next you need to find the SpecialPollInterval parameter, which according to the standard will be equal to 604800, which is equal to the number of seconds in one week. This parameter needs to be changed to another one, which will be smaller, for example, 3600, which is equal to one hour. This means that the system will be able to automatically update every hour. When the desired value is entered, you need to enter the following combination into the command line: net stop w32time && net start w32time.

Install more frequent updates Not recommended. The reason is that by sending requests too frequently, the server's security system may block the user's IP address. Also, you should not set a period of more than a day, as this will affect the accuracy of the system clock.

Function Automation

If you often have to manually perform the synchronization procedure, you can automate this action. You will need to enable the “Set time automatically” option in the “Date and Time” settings. Then the servers will check the accuracy of the clock on the PC without user intervention.

Note! Even if the main site for obtaining accurate data is disabled or unavailable, the system will automatically connect to additional servers.

Command Line Tools

To eliminate the need to search for the necessary tools to control computer functions, you can use the command line. It will allow you to perform the action without additional clicks. All you need to do is enter a few commands.

To synchronize time in this way, you need to open the Command Prompt, click on the search bar (located next to the Start button) and type “Command Prompt”.

Note! You can open the command line using the WIN+R key combination.

In the window that opens, enter “cmd” and press Enter. Now the user will be able to change the server settings from where data on the exact value will be downloaded. To do this, enter three commands:

setting a specific server with which the computer will synchronize:
w32tm/config/manualpeerlist: [sync server address]/syncfromflags:manual/reliable:yes
Confirming settings changes for the Windows service:
w32tm/config/update
restart the service for correct operation:
net stop w32time && net start w32time

But there is also an easier way to use this synchronization method.

Lightweight method

Open operating room policy Windows systems allows you to expand its functionality using third party applications. Therefore, if difficulties arise when setting up synchronization parameters, you can use additional software.

All you need to do is find the program, install it and specify the necessary data in it, after which all the actions described above will be performed without user intervention. Such programs can work even better than the built-in Windows tools. When determining the time, the delay that exists due to the need to transmit data packets over the Internet will be taken into account.

Undocumented settings

But not all opportunities are available to users. So there are settings that can only be used using special programs or manually by opening the registry. One of these features is to set the update period for synchronization with the server.

The local network

Setting a single time is also possible on a local network when computers are connected to each other. Then one of the devices acts as a reference server. The synchronization method on a local network will be the same as when connecting to an Internet server. To get started, you will need to run an NTP server on your PC, which will set the value for other connected devices.

Note! It is recommended to synchronize the main computer from which time is distributed over the network with the Windows server via the Internet.

To do this, you need to open the registry and follow the path: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer. Here you need to change the value opposite Enabled to 1, then forcefully restart the Windows service in the command line using net stop w32time, and then enter net start w32time.

The computer on which this procedure was carried out becomes a reference point for other devices connected to the local network. It must always be active, and constant checks of the functionality of this PC will also be required. Find out if the server is active in this moment, you can from any of the computers connected to the network. To do this, enter the command w32tm/query/configuration. If the system is working, the value “1” will be displayed.

Popular servers

In addition to the standard online servers provided by Windows, you can work with other sources of the correct time. Among the servers, three representatives of the most used ones can be noted.

NTP Servers

On home page on a site of the same name with a .net domain, the user will immediately see how much the delay is on his computer with servers from NTP-servers. You can find active servers on the corresponding tab. There is no need to register on the site. Best suited for residents of Russia.

The servers are a hardware and software complex located in the Russian city of Saratov. All provided addresses are divided into two tiers. The first is time standards, the second is servers that are synchronized with the first tier. Due to the extremely low latency, there is no difference in performance.

NTP Pool Project

This is a cluster that offers to join servers located around the world. At the time of writing, there were more than 4,300 points. Access to all addresses is open, but only registered users will be able to connect their computer as a server. Otherwise, it will be impossible to see the list and status of servers.

Time in UA

An accurate time service aimed at residents of Ukraine. Work is carried out using standard NTP and SNTP protocols. A total of three addresses are offered for receiving data.

Note! They are participants in the NTP Pool Project, which was described above.

Preventing problems

Before you synchronize the time on your computer with the Internet on Windows 7, you need to consider the most common problems that you may encounter:

After a certain period, the clock begins to lag behind. The problem may be with the CMOS battery. If it is weakened, then it needs to be replaced with a new one.
The time changes after you restart the computer. In this case, the priority source of data is the BIOS, which is where you need to change the time and date settings.
Synchronization does not help change the time. Then you need to change the update interval.
The clock resets changes in time. Most likely the problem is an incorrectly set time zone or date.

Not every user needs to maintain the most accurate time on their PC. But synchronization eliminates the need to check the correctness of the set time. It can be carried out not only in manual mode, but also set up automatic sending of a request to a special server.

All articles on our site are audited by a technical consultant. If you have any questions, you can always ask them on his page.

Date: 2013-05-31

This article will talk about time synchronization in Windows XP. In Windows XP it is possible to set the period time synchronization systems with Internet time via NTP (Network Time Protocol). In addition, I’ll add that not only Windows XP has this ability, but all OS from the Windows family that came out later.

It is possible to change the synchronization period through the Windows XP registry in the branch

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/ControlSet001/Services/W32Time/TimeProviders/NTPClient

The value of the synchronization period is determined by the SpecialPollInterval parameter. By default, this parameter is set to 3600 in decimal notation. This parameter is specified in seconds.

Suppose there is a need to set the synchronization period to 1 day or 24 hours. The arithmetic of calculating the required value is simple here.

1 minute = 60 seconds 1 hour = 60 minutes Number of seconds in 1 hour = 60 seconds * 60 minutes = 3600 seconds Number of seconds in 24 hours = 3600 seconds * 24 hours = 86400 seconds

If during the update the result is again with an error, then most likely the problem is in the antivirus, or rather in its firewall (firewall), which blocks the port through which the PC connects to the NTP server. Standard network Windows screen(The firewall) does not block these ports, unless of course it is forcefully configured.

So, to make sure that the antivirus is blocking or not blocking the connection to the NTP server, there are 2 solutions to this dilemma:

1. If you are a pro at setting up your anti-virus software, then you can check the anti-virus firewall and configure filtering in it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/DateTime/Servers

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What to do if the exact time is not set on the computer (automatically or at all)? And what are we even talking about?

Right-click on the clock in the taskbar and select the menu item Setting the date and time(the computer user must have Administrator rights). The settings window will open on the tab date and time. Here the date and time can be set manually; if the deviation from reality is large (more than a few minutes), it is better to do this, even if you intend to do automatic setup, because if the initial deviation is large, the automatic procedure will not work (remember to check and set the date too!)

Go to bookmark Timezone and check if your belt is selected correctly.

Go to bookmark Internet time. Check the box if it is missing Synchronize time on the Internet, then click on the button Update now. After a few seconds or a couple of minutes, a message indicating the success or failure of synchronization will appear in the window.

If the synchronization was successful, this means that in the future your computer, now automatically, will set the exact time - once a week. If you're happy with this, you don't have to read any further; if synchronization does not work or you are not satisfied with the weekly interval, read on.

What could be the reasons for the lack of synchronization and what to do about it?

1. In the field (drop-down list) Server to the left of the button Update now An inoperative/invalid time server was specified. Most often this is the time.windows.com server. Expand the list and select another server (usually the list consists of two items and the second is time.nist.gov). Press the button again.

2. Check if you are connected to the Internet. It is necessary that the firewall and router allow UPP packets to pass on port 123 (ie NTP protocol). Normal Settings Windows Firewall and “household” routers are exactly like that; if the Internet provider or system administrator of the organization where the computer is located filters traffic, ask “to open UDP port 123.”

3. It may turn out that all the servers on the list are inoperative. Unfortunately, the list of servers cannot be edited by simple means, and read below about how to do this.

How to edit the list of servers, connection order and check interval?

Attention - the editing procedure is described below Windows registry. Do not change other registry settings other than those described; damage to the registry can lead to Windows not working!

1. Open Registry Editor: button Start, Further Execute, type regedit and press the key Enter.

2. On the left side of the window, in the registry settings tree, select

3. In the right part of the window, click on the parameter name (number 1 or 2 in the left column) and edit the address of the exact time server - set a valid address instead of a non-working one (addresses can be easily found through Google - query “precise time server” or “ntp server”) .

3. If necessary, also edit the parameter (default), which specifies the default server number (1 or 2) (this setting can also be changed without Registry Editor, as described above).

4. Now go to the section

5. Here we may be interested in the parameter SpecialPollInterval. It contains the interval between attempts to check the exact time, in seconds. By default, this is a week (do the math yourself - a ton of seconds). If this interval does not suit you (for example, the clock is not very accurate and runs away in a week, or the computer is often disconnected from the Internet, and the week can stretch for many weeks), the parameter can be edited. Click on its name in the left column.

Flip the switch Number system to position Decimal(if, of course, you need it) and enter the required number in the field Meaning, press OK. You should not set values less than half an hour (1800).

6. Close the Registry Editor window.