Although the computer is an accurate machine, the clock in it (like any others) can be behind or in a hurry. To prevent such incidents, time synchronization is required using the Windows time service.
According to the set 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, several addresses are already set in the configuration.
How to synchronize time on a computer
For one-time synchronization, do the following: Left-click on the Windows clock.
The “Change date and time settings” button will open the settings window. Next, go to the tab "Time on the Internet." It will display the server address specified in the settings, and the latest synchronization date.
By clicking on "Change Settings", you can update the time.
Function automation
To synchronize the computer’s time with the Internet automatically, in the last window it is enough to put a tick in a single box. If it is impossible to connect to the north or an error occurs when updating the time, then you can choose one of the additional servers, since the OS provides a choice of as many as 5, or find the address on the Internet and enter it in the line "server".
Be careful, the last selected server will remain in the default settings, with it the operating system 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 pair of commands is faster than frequent movements of the mouse cursor from one corner of the window to another.
To synchronize time on a computer with the Internet using the command line, open the Start menu and select "Run" or simply press Win + R on the keyboard. In the line of the window that starts, write cmd, and then press Enter. So you enter the command line, the following command will update the time on the local computer with the server installed by default:
To configure the server that the system will use to synchronize time on the local computer with the Internet, run the following 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 the command line too complicated?
Windows is an OS whose functionality can be expanded with additional applications. If you are having difficulty setting up time updates, then you can use the simplest option - download a program that will take many steps by itself and require minimal intervention. Moreover, such programs allow synchronizing time with greater accuracy than standard system tools. Often they can take into account delays in receiving and sending packets and receive server addresses from lists on the Internet.
Undocumented Settings
By default, the period with which Windows after synchronization will synchronize the time on the computer with the Internet is equal to a week. Sometimes this interval needs to be reduced, but the built-in tools do not allow you to perform the necessary configuration. The registry will help.
To start the registry, type regedit in the Run window bar 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. The value 604800 will already be written in it. It is in this number of seconds that one week passes. If you change this number to 3600, the synchronization time will be equal to one hour.
It is not recommended to enter values less than an hour or 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. At high values, it will not be possible to achieve maximum accuracy of the system clock. After making the changes, enter the characters net stop w32time && net start w32time in the command line.
The local network
If several computers connected via LAN are installed at home or in the office, you can use one as an exact time server. Synchronization with the time of a PC entering the local network is performed in the same way as with servers on the Internet. But first, you will have to start the NTP server on the computer, which 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 must be set to 1, then restart the Windows time service from the command line by typing net stop w32time, and after running net start w32time.
Remember that now the PC is operated by other network users as a guideline, do not forget to check its performance from time to time. If the server is turned on, you can check with the w32tm / query / configuration command. A Enabled value of 1 indicates that the server is OK.
Do not forget to synchronize the time on your computer with the Internet, because now, if the clock runs ahead or lags too far on it, it will affect all users.