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Irregular Time Zone Changes on Specific Floor in Windows 10 Environment

Anonymous
2024-12-04T05:21:46+00:00

I am a basic IT staff member, and over the past two weeks, I have encountered a strange issue at the workplace:

On a specific floor of a building, many computers (running Windows 10 with automatic time zone settings enabled) automatically change their time zones within the same time frame—from UTC+8:00 to UTC-8:00. This occurs regardless of whether the computers are connected via Wi-Fi or a wired network.

  1. Network Environment Checks:
    • Connecting the affected computers to a personal mobile Wi-Fi hotspot still resulted in the incorrect time zone.
    • Examined devices on the same floor, including Wi-Fi access points (APs), switches, and NAS units, but their time zones were all normal.
  2. Testing on Other Floors:
    • When the computers were moved to other buildings, their time zones returned to normal.
    • However, when reconnected to the original floor, the automatic time zone detection briefly returned to normal but reverted to UTC-8:00 after a few days.
  3. Specific Case:
    • One user’s computer displayed an incorrect time zone (UTC-8:00). After logging in as an administrator, the computer immediately detected the correct time zone (UTC+8:00). However, the same steps had no effect on other computers with the same issue.
  4. Command Testing and Repairs:
    • Running the tzutil /g command confirmed that the detected time zone matched the currently displayed time zone.
    • Tried resetting the time service using the following commands, but the incorrect time zone persisted: 
        bash複製程式碼w32tm /unregister
  w32tm /register
  net stop w32time
  net start w32time
  5. Manual Switching:
    • On some computers, manually switching the time zone and then reverting to automatic mode resolved the issue. However, other computers still displayed the incorrect time zone.
  1. Issue: The time zone anomaly appears irregular and lacks a clear pattern, occurring only on a specific floor.
  2. Request:
    • Is there a way to trace the source of the time zone changes or identify the devices causing this issue?
    • What tools or methods can be used to further analyze and resolve this problem?

***Move from Windows / Windows 10 / Settings***

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-12-06T01:36:00+00:00

    Hello,

    Thank you for posting in the Microsoft Community Forums.

    To track down the source of the time zone change and identify the device causing this issue, you need to look for any recent changes on the affected computer. Check if any updates or any third-party applications were installed recently.

    Also enable event auditing to capture detailed information about the change. This will include information such as the event ID, account name, account domain, and the name of the process that caused the change.

    Steps to enable event auditing: Audit system events - Windows 10 | Microsoft Learn

    Best regards

    Yanhong Liu

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-12-06T02:25:21+00:00

    Hi Yanhong,

    Thank you for your suggestions. I conducted the following tests and observations:

    1. Update Status
      Before the time zone issue occurred, the computer's last update was in September 2021, with no updates applied in the interim. After the issue occurred, I installed all required updates on November 22, 2024.
    2. Audit System Events Testing
      Following your recommendation, I enabled Audit system events for both Success and Failure and performed the following steps:
      • Shut down and restarted the computer.
      • Manually adjusted the time zone to UTC+8:00 and then switched back to automatic mode.
      • After switching to automatic mode, the time zone reverted to UTC-8:00.
    3. Event Log Check
      I checked the Windows Event Viewer (path: Windows Logs > Security) but found no audit logs related to system events, such as:
      • Logon Event 512 (System Startup)
      • Logon Event 513 (System Shutdown)
      • Event 520 (System Time Change)
      As I understand it, these events should appear in the security logs once auditing is enabled, but no such logs were recorded.

    Could you advise on what steps I should take next?

    Thank you for your assistance!

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-01-17T15:39:14+00:00

    Regarding this issue, I later discovered that a Wi-Fi AP on another floor had an incorrect time zone set to UTC-8. After correcting the time zone, the issue did not resolve immediately. It took several days before other computers stopped experiencing time zone changes.

    From this experience, I learned two things:

    1. Time zone issues may not be resolved immediately after adjustments and require an unknown amount of time to stabilize.
    2. Devices on different floors seem to influence each other.

    Thank you again for your support!

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