Windows time 1 hour slow

Last Friday, 1st September, I powered up my PC ab out 7am and happened to notice the time was exactly 1 hour behind, I resynched and it changed ok and has been ok since. I am set to the correct time zone and Adjust for DST is set.

That evening I went to a friend's to look at a PC problem she had. Same again, her PC was also exactly an hour behind.

It's as if Windows, on these to PCs at least ended UK Summer Time a few weeks early.

Both PCs have been fine since.

Not seen or heard of this elsewhere. Any thoughts?

Windows uses time.windows.com as the default time server. If that time server is not working for you or if you want to use some other custom time server, you can do that too.



Open the command prompt as admin and execute the following command.

Code:

w32tm /config /update /manualpeerlist:time.server.url.com

Don't forget to replace time.server.url.com with the actual time server URL. You can use the pool.ntp.org: NTP Servers in Global, pool.ntp.org to find the time server addresses of different countries and places.



As soon as you execute the command, Windows will access that time server, gets the time and syncs it with your system.




You can reset the Windows Time service configurations using Command Prompt.


Open the Command Prompt by typing cmd.exe into Start Menu, right-click on Cmd.exe, and open it as an administrator.


Execute below commands one at a time:

Code:

net stop w32time


w32tm /unregister


w32tm /register


net start w32time


w32tm /resync /nowait

Once you completed the steps, your device should now synchronize with its clock over the internet.

Windows will operate off the BIOS clock so Check that the BIOS time / date is correct.

Also check daylight savings settings - Start, Settings, Time & Language > Date & time. Make sure your time zone is correct. Also toggle "Adjust for daylight savings time automatically." You might also make sure "Set time automatically" is toggled on.

Helmut said:

They are both very old PC and Laptop and will need their BIOS settings battery replaced. That will include clock settings. Usually these are CR2032 3v Lithium cells available everywhere, don't cost much. Probably the same for your friend.

I might be inclined to agree, but upon further review of their post, I believe the issue is the time settings on both PCs. It's odd that both PCs would be exactly off by an hour, and both have dying CMOS batteries at the same time. Add, that if the CMOS battery was bad, they'd be losing more than an hour.

Simply check the time settings as I suggest above first. If all is good, double check the BIOS time. If all is good there, I highly doubt it's the CMOS battery. Also, when the battery is dying the date also changes.

margrave55 said:

This happened in the US back in 2007 when Congress redefined the dates on which we switch to Standard Time and Daylight Time. PCs without an update were an hour behind for nearly a month starting in mid-March of that year.

Question: Has the Summer Time definition in the UK been recently changed?

If what you say is true, then wouldn't all PCs have this issue? Not just two of millions? Looking around the net, I don't see mass posts on this. Nor do I see any in the eleven forums.

Also, where would the OP look find out if "the Summer Time definition in the UK been recently changed?"

I would suggest the OP start with the simple - check the time & date setting in "Settings" and go from there.

The "first" and simplest thing to do is check the time settings as noted in post #3. That's basic 101 troubleshooting. If all is good there, then proceed with other stuff. And I stand by my "I doubt it's the CMOS battery" as explained.

I'll await the OP's response.

Until then.

The CMOS battery in my PC is recently replaced - can't speak for my friend's but I doubt it. But I cannot believe that 2 completely unrelated PCs would exhibit the same fault if the battery was the problem.

Both PCs were in the correct time zone.

My own laptop didn't exhibit the problem.

UK DST timing hasn't changed, it's still last Sunday in October and last Sunday in March.

Will check my BIOS time.

Edit: Just checked my BIOS time, spot on.

Will mark it solved and put it down ot a cosmic ray anomaly!