MCT clean install defaults to Pacific time zone w/o option?


  1. Posts : 981
    W10 Pro v21H2
       #1

    MCT clean install defaults to Pacific time zone w/o option?


    Is there any way to get Win10 installer to prompt for time zone when using a USB drive installer made by the Media Creation Tool? Every time I clean install, the time seems to get set from my CPU clock, but the time zone is always set to Pacific time - Is this because I install with no internet access?
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  2. Posts : 31,471
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #2

    mta3006 said:
    Is there any way to get Win10 installer to prompt for time zone...? ... the time zone is always set to Pacific time ..
    The timezone will be set to whatever is appropriate for the Region you choose during setup.




    That's Step 17 in the tutorial.

    Clean Install Windows 10 | Tutorials
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  3. Posts : 981
    W10 Pro v21H2
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Bree said:
    The timezone will be set to whatever is appropriate for the Region you choose during setup.

    That is true; however there are 4 timezones in the continental US: Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific. Now I know MS is located in the Pacific zone, but I am not. And if I forget to change the zone before proceeding with installation and use, changing the zone later also changes the time, and sometimes unpleasant effects on file modification date/times can ensue, fouling up regular backups.

    I am trying to find a way to set the precise time zone during pre-install settings....
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  4. Posts : 31,471
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #4

    mta3006 said:
    I am trying to find a way to set the precise time zone during pre-install settings....
    @Kari may have some suggestions....
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  5. Posts : 981
    W10 Pro v21H2
    Thread Starter
       #5

    In searching the forum, I found a screenshot from around January 2019, showing what was said to be the install screen following the region setting. It included region, preferred app language, keyboard layout, and a drop down menu for time zone. But in my last few clean installs, after choosing region, it goes straight to keyboard layout, without any other input. I guess if there is no workaround, I will just put the step for correcting the time zone right at the beginning of my post-clean-install procedure...
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  6. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #6

    mta3006 said:
    Every time I clean install, the time seems to get set from my CPU clock, but the time zone is always set to Pacific time - Is this because I install with no internet access?
    No, having no Internet connection when installing has nothing to do with it.

    Selecting a region which has more than one time zone, a default time zone will be used by system. Selecting region United States, Pacific Standard Time is used, regardless in whatever 9 US time zones you live in (six zones in 50 states plus 3 used in regions belonging to USA with no state status).

    When your installation comes to region selection, select United States and click Next to get to keyboard selection. Before selecting your preferred keyboard layout, press SHIFT + F10 to open Command Prompt, and use Windows Time Zone Utility to set your time zone (Eastern, according to your profile) with following command:

    tzutil /s "Eastern Standard Time"

    Change Time Zone in Windows 10

    Close Command Prompt, select keyboard layout and continue OOBE. Complete list of Windows time zones: Microsoft Time Zone Index Values

    That's it. Alternatively, you could prepare a USB install media for a completely "hands free", unattended installation, automating everything including time zone: Create media for automated unattended install of Windows 10 | Tutorials


    mta3006 said:
    In searching the forum, I found a screenshot from around January 2019, showing what was said to be the install screen following the region setting. It included region, preferred app language, keyboard layout, and a drop down menu for time zone.
    Windows setup does no longer allow selecting time zone.

    Kari
    Last edited by Brink; 25 May 2020 at 08:48. Reason: added tutorial link for more info
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  7. Posts : 981
    W10 Pro v21H2
    Thread Starter
       #7

    .
    Many thanks for the excellent information and solutions! I did some more searching and learned a little about MS and time zones and TZUTIL. I am working on adding automation to my clean installation tasks, but I don't think I am quite ready for the ADK and unattended install yet... I read your tut on that, and was amazed at how much I do not know about Windows!

    Kari said:
    Selecting a region which has more than one time zone, a default time zone will be used by system. Selecting region United States, Pacific Standard Time is used, regardless in whatever 9 US time zones you live in (six zones in 50 states plus 3 used in regions belonging to USA with no state status).
    . . . . .Windows setup does no longer allow selecting time zone.
    Seems rather short-sighted of MS, but then I have never written an OS...
    Thanks again for the great help!!
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  8. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #8

    mta3006 said:
    Seems rather short-sighted of MS, but then I have never written an OS...
    Some changes in Windows Setup are, in lack of better words, outright stupid. Take for instance renaming the PC at setup. Not possible anymore, not without a workaround:

    Kari said:
    This should qualify, have not seen it on any other site:

    Windows 10 Creators Update - Name PC at Setup



    In my opinion, one of the worst decisions Windows 10 developer teams made was to remove possibility to name your PC already when setting it up. Especially when this feature was removed at the same time when Windows introduced digital licensing. For instance, transferring a digital license to another computer is based not only on your Microsoft account but also on old computer's name.

    In Windows 7 setup, PC was named after your chosen username but you could change it to whatever you wanted to. Windows 8 took this a step further. No name was suggested, you simply had to name the PC otherwise you could not finish the setup.

    This video shows how to fix this, name your Windows 10 PC already when setting up a pre-installed or a clean installed Windows 10 Creators Update or later version.

    Kari
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 14,046
    Windows 11 Pro X64 22H2 22621.1848
       #9

    Kari, both of those work arounds are excellent, many thanks.
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  10. Posts : 17,661
    Windows 10 Pro
       #10

    Ztruker said:
    Kari, both of those work arounds are excellent, many thanks.
    You are welcome
      My Computer


 

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