Simple: Windows clock switches AM/PM (off by 12 hours)

My first thought is that the machines may be configured to synchronize with another computer on your domain since the problem is effecting everyone in the same way.  Are you possibly running login scripts which contain the "net time" command?

You can use this Net Time command to synchronize time from a specific computer (e.g., Net Time \\computer_name /set /y).  I would add this to the login scripts (or create login scripts for this purpose if necessary)

If you don't use the /set and /y switches in the Net Time command, the command displays only the time it obtains from the time source. If you use the /set switch without the /y switch, the command prompts you to change your system time.


 You'll first need to configure the Win2K PDC of the root domain of the AD forest to use external NTP servers as standard time providers. This root PDC is the authoritative time server for your Win2K computers. All Win2K computers in this environment can follow the default Win2K time synchronization in the AD domain hierarchy.

Not sure if this is your answer or just a workaround, but either way I hope it helps out!

Load up a command prompt and type ...

TIME

followed by enter.

You will see ...

TIME
The current time is: 15:34:45.48
Enter the new time:

You can now enter the correct time as you see. If you don't enter anything and press enter, the time stays the same.

You can also set the Date in the same way.

DATE
The current date is: Mon 12/08/2002
Enter the new date: (dd-mm-yy)

Again, you can press enter and nothing will happen.

The format of the date is probably system dependant (I'm in the UK and our dates are dd mm yy).

But. You may find that the local system time is not the problem. It may be your server.

To test, reboot and make a note of the current date and time on the pc, set the date and time to something not sensible (i.e your birthday) and then run ...

NET TIME \\server /SET /YES

substituting \\SERVER for the name of your server.

If the time goes back to something silly (i.e. 12hours out), then your server has the wrong time. To fix it, tell your sysop or change the time on the server by the command TIME or by doubleclicking the time in the system tray or via the control panel.

Regards,

Richard Quadling.

Ha! Took me that long to type up my reply! As we both say. Probably your server time is wrong.

RQuadling...you wouldn't believe how often that happens to me!  I'm just happy to learn that I'm not the only one!!!  

• I am the sysop;
• There are no login scripts;
• We are not using Net Time intentionally .. I will check to see if it is somewhere it shouldn't be;
• When we change the time, it changes back within a few hours, or when the machine is next rebooted! (the 'problem')

Is the time correct on ANY of the machines in the network?

Create an msdos boot disk and boot each machine to plain dos and check the data/time in the bios?

If all the machines are the same, could you have found a BIOS bug?

What I would do first is check the time on all of your servers to see if one of them is off by hours as well.  If so the client machines are probably looking to this server for the time during startup and you would only need to correct the problem on the server.  

It WAS off on the server as well. Now testing ..

I think if you're in an AD environment, Windows 2000 will synchronise the times between the servers and the clients without the need for user intervention (or use of 'net time'). The times on the servers and workstations need to be synchronised (within 15 minutes) for domain logons. Kerberos authentication uses time stamps in its "ticket" thingy, and the times need to be within this range, or the authentication will fail.

As others have already suggested, if you change the time on the PDC of the first domain in the forest, everything 'should' work sweet.

Here is what looks like a very good list of links to articles on Time Synchronization in Windows 2000:

http://www.labmice.net/Windows2000/timesynch.htm

Fantastic information (from several of you)!

Our client PCs were using internet time update utilities, causing them to be out of sync with the server. Result? Access to network resources would 'go away' at seemingly random intervals.

Eventually deleted another question here at Experts trying to solve that issue, because no one had an idea.

But this is the solution to that issue! Now our clients maintain their access to Network Resources because we are only updating the time on the server, and letting the Windows Time Service update the clients.

controltheweb

EXCELLENT resources! I only knew the gist of Kerberos 5, now I can read them all. No more free time for the next 3 days, reading all those resources. :)

esc_toe_account

Do you mean to say you have solved the problem yourself by disabling the time sync utilities on the workstations?

esc_toe_account.....glad to hear it!  It's an EXTREMELY rare occasion in this field when everything seems to fall into place like that, so I love to hear about it when it does.  
You may have also discovered the secret to getting good answers on here...rather than posting questions about the issues we're having, we should post questions about seemingly unrelated issues.  On second thought maybe this was just a fluke!

congrats

I'm all for it, jehob.

I was thinking (a few months back) that we should just post zero point questions on our past experiences and the "weird" situations so that people may learn from it and we can also gain more general knowledge.

Not sure if anyone else is interested in this idea.

st_steve: I am very much in favor of posting information as you describe!

I tried it, long ago under another account, sharing a friends account to post the 'response.' Adding high-quality information to the knowledge base seems like a good idea to me!

Action that solved both problems IS disabling net sync utilities on clients. Will be awarding split points.

Yes I agree!  We've all had those issues that leave us scratching our heads even after we find the resolution, so it would be great to have a forum specifically for sharing these experiences.  

Yes, being in the line of computers, I tend to get a lot of "unsolved mysteries". Or after playing around with it for 6 hours, I will finally solve it but not sure how or why the solution worked.

Shall we make a new section (I don't know, call it "weird situations" or something) and post our experiences there. People can first check there (maybe make it searchable by subject) before they post the question in a specific area.

I guess this is what they're doing now anyway. But my idea is that we post our 'weird' experiences even though no one asks for it. :)

So, who's with me?

I think we've hijacked "esc_toe_account"'s question long enough :) Sorry for going on like a broken record, esc_toe_account. I think you want to close off this question now :) And good that your problem was resolved very quickly.

I'm with you st_steve...on both accounts!

So how do we do this then? Contact the moderators and ask them to create a new section? Or just post 0-points questions in specific areas?

Sorry "esc_toe_account", until now, this is the only way for me to communicate with  jehob :)

I'm not sure to be honest...I'm thinking that 'Suggestions' in the topic category list under "community support" would be our best bet.  Let me know if you post it (and where if you find a better option) and I will go in and add a comment to show my support.  I really think it's a great idea and I certainly hope we're not the only ones that think so!  

Will have a look at this seriously. Will let you know if something good comes out of all this.

jehob:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/20336139/To-EE-Moderators.html