How to Change Internet Time Server in Windows


Your PC's clock is used to record the time whenever you create or modify files on your PC. You can change the clock's time and time zone.

You can synchronize your PC's clock with an Internet time server. This means that the clock on your PC is updated to match the clock on the time server, which can help ensure that the clock's time on your PC is accurate. Your clock is typically automatically updated once a week and needs to be connected to the Internet for the synchronization to occur.

This tutorial will show you how to change the Internet time server (NTP server) used to synchronize your clock in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to change the Internet time server.

Contents

• Option One: Change Internet Time Server in Control Panel
• Option Two: Change Internet Time Server in Registry Editor

OPTION ONE

Change Internet Time Server in Control Panel

1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Date and Time icon.

2 Click/tap on the Internet Time tab, and click/tap on the Change settings button. (see screenshot below)

If your PC is on a domain, then you will not have an Internet Time tab. Your clock will automatically synchronize with the domain controller instead.

3 Check the Synchronize with an Internet time server box. (see screenshot below)

4 Select an available Internet time server you want in the drop menu, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

If you like, you can type a name of an Internet time server from the list at the Microsoft link below to add and use instead.

A list of the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) time servers that are available on the Internet

5 Click/tap on OK, and close the Control Panel if you like. (see screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

Change Internet Time Server in Registry Editor

1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. In the right pane, make note of the string value number (ex: "1") for the time server (ex: "time.windows.com") you want to use. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers

3 In the right pane of the Servers key, double click/tap on the (Default) string value to modify it. (see screenshot below)

4 Type the string value number (ex: "1") for the time server (ex: "time.windows.com") you want to use from step 2, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

5 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. Make note of the string value number (ex: "1") for the time server (ex: "time.windows.com") you want to use. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\w32time\Parameters

6 In the right pane of the Parameters key, double click/tap on the NtpServer string value to modify it. (see screenshot above)

7 Change the time server (ex: "time.windows.com,0x9") value with the time server (ex: "time.windows.com") you want to use from step 2 without changing the end of the value (ex: "time.windows.com,0x9"), and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

8 You can now close Registry Editor.

9 Either stop and start the Windows Time service OR restart the computer to apply.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Synchronize Clock with an Internet Time Server in Windows 10
• How to Add and Remove Internet Time Servers in Windows
• How to Change the Time in Windows 10
• How to Change the Time Zone in Windows 10
• How to Create a Sync Clock Time shortcut in Windows 10

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