Windows Time Changes Itself

Windows is losing time

The usuall reason this happens is, the BIOS back up battery (on the motherboard) needs replacing.

This is not a technical job dont panic, remove the case from your PC and look on the motherboard for a battery, its a big round flat lithium battery (like a large watch battery)

usually its a CR2025 battery, (but check yours to be sure) This is what it looks like
http://shopping.netsuite.com/app/site/site.nl/c.ACCT84789/sc.2/category.155/it.A/id.1314/.f

After the battery has been replaced there will be a LOT of error messages when you first boot the PC, you will need to enter the BIOS (at first boot by pressing F1, F2 Del or Esc, watch the screen for instructions) and reset the time, - look for "load system defaults if you get stuck"

**********

Sometimes the time is incorrect because the power settings are incorrect.

If you upgrade your motherboard and do not reinstall fresh Windows, the motherboard resources from the old one are inherited into the new system. Many of these components work because they might be backwards compatible; furthermore, components like APM (Advanced Power Management) do not work properly and cause mysterious effects. In my case, every time the computer went into sleep mode, when it woke up it kept the same time when it went to sleep.

Edit the registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Detect
and add the following STRING VALUE:   ACPIOption=1
Reboot the machine and this should do it.
I do not know if this would be a factor but I got rid first of APM from my devices.

http://thetechnozone.com/pcbuyersguide/hardware/motherboards/clock-losing-time.html



*****Links*****

Does anybody really know what time it is?
http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107-941411.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;189706
Windows Clock on Taskbar and in Date/Time Tool Loses Time

CLOCK LOSING TIME
http://home.earthlink.net/~leetutor/FixWin/Hardware/clock.htm (From our own LeeTutor - I Think)

Setting the Correct Time


Your clients can get there time from a central server by using the following command

net time /setsntp:<IP address of server>

This can be run either from a login script OR a batchfile set to run at boot

*****To set the time on a central server*****

You can set your server to get its time from a public network time server using the same command you used above.

net time /setsntp:<IP address of server>

To get the address of a public time server either contact your ISP of here is a list of public access time servers

http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~mills/ntp/clock1a.html


********If all thats too much Hassle*********

Set your server to atomic time using third party software

Freeware

http://www.philex.net/clock/
http://www.rocketsoftware.com/rockettime/screenshot.asp
http://www.lmhsoft.com/timesync/

In a domain environment the machine will always revert to using the domain controller as the time source regardless of using the net time command. In addition, an outside ntp server can only be used if the firewall (if one is used) has the port open (123).

Check your system for Gator and/or Precision time spyware using Spybot @ safer-networking.org (be sure to upodate)

Thanks RichTech,

Although you didn't actually find me the 100% correct solution, your comment was what prompted me the most. The machine is not running on a DC so no time sync from that was available. But it was the Windows Time service that you mentioned that made me look on the machine, and funny enough, it was set to Manual and not running!

Even though that problem has been solved and the time will stay the same now whilst Windows is running, each time I reboot, it has changed again. I can put up with that for the time being though, so thanks for the hint!

Lee