Windows server time going back to past because of time synchronization with the hardware clock

Question

Windows server time going back to past because of time synchronization with the hardware clock

Sowjanya G 0

Hi. From the last 2 months, we are facing below issue on our Windows 2016 server every 10 days. Server time is going back by 1 hour with the below message in eventvwr. The system time has changed to ‎2023‎-‎12‎-‎27T07:34:29.500000000Z from ‎2023‎-‎12‎-‎27T08:34:38.153992100Z. Change Reason: System time synchronized with the hardware clock. It is again getting corrected after 2 hours. The system time has changed to ‎2023‎-‎12‎-‎27T09:34:29.500000000Z from ‎2023‎-‎12‎-‎27T08:34:29.508436400Z. Change Reason: System time synchronized with the hardware clock. Below are the default settings of the server since very long time. 'Set Time Automatically' is off in 'Date & Time settings'. StartUp type of Windows Time service is Manual(Trigger) and is not running. This is a WorkGroup server & not joined to any domain. We do not have access to the hardware & is maintained by a different vendor.
Pls guide on how to fix this issue. How to stop synchronizing with hardware clock.

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

Danish Gul Khattak 335

It seems like the Windows Time service is synchronizing the system time with the hardware clock, causing the time to go back periodically. Since the server is not part of a domain, you can try the following steps:

Disable Windows Time Service:
- Open the Services application (services.msc) and locate the "Windows Time" service.
- Set the startup type to "Disabled" to prevent it from starting automatically.
Check Third-Party Time Sync:
- Ensure there are no third-party applications or scripts running that might be syncing the time.
Review Scheduled Tasks:
- Examine any scheduled tasks related to time synchronization and disable or modify them.
Check for System Policies:
- Verify if there are any local group policies affecting time synchronization.
Registry Settings:
- Open the Registry Editor (regedit) and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters.
- Look for the "Type" DWORD and set its value to "NoSync" to prevent time synchronization.

Remember to backup the registry and create system restore points before making any changes.

If the issue persists, it might be advisable to involve the server vendor or IT support with access to the hardware, as they can investigate potential hardware-related problems or provide more specific guidance based on your server setup.

Sowjanya G 0 Reputation points

2024-01-25T07:00:51.48+00:00

Hi. Thank you so much for your response. I have a few doubts. Server time is syncing with hardware clock. So, we have to set NoSync kind of property for Hardware clock right. Why are we setting it to W32Time when it is anyways not running. Kindly provide more details. Thank you.
Danish Gul Khattak 335 Reputation points

2024-01-26T09:07:10.11+00:00

The decision to set the NoSync property for the hardware clock depends on the specific requirements of your system. If you're not using W32Time for time synchronization and prefer to rely on other methods or tools, configuring NoSync may be appropriate. This prevents the Windows Time service (W32Time) from trying to synchronize the hardware clock. It's important to align your time synchronization strategy with your system's needs and ensure consistency across your network. If W32Time is not in use, adjusting its settings accordingly can help avoid unnecessary conflicts or attempts to sync with the hardware clock.
Danish Gul Khattak 335 Reputation points

2024-01-26T09:09:29.8666667+00:00

The decision to set the NoSync property for the hardware clock depends on the specific requirements of your system. If you're not using W32Time for time synchronization and prefer to rely on other methods or tools, configuring NoSync may be appropriate. This prevents the Windows Time service (W32Time) from trying to synchronize the hardware clock. It's important to align your time synchronization strategy with your system's needs and ensure consistency across your network. If W32Time is not in use, adjusting its settings accordingly can help avoid unnecessary conflicts or attempts to sync with the hardware clock.

Answer 2

Anonymous

Hello Sowjanya G,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

I hope the information provided by Danish Gul Khattak is helpful.

In addition, whether this server is a physical machine or virtual machine?

In the case of virtual machines, you can enable the time synchronization settings for the virtual platform. In this way, the time of the machine is synchronized with the time of the virtual platform. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know. Best Regards, Daisy Zhou

If the Answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.

Sowjanya G 0 Reputation points

2024-01-25T07:04:36.77+00:00

Hi Daisy. Thank you for your response. It is a physical machine. Not Virtual server. Please help me understand why we have to set NoSync for W32Time in the registry when the issue is with the Hardware clock. Kindly shed some light. Thank you.

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Windows server time going back to past because of time synchronization with the hardware clock

2 answers

In the case of virtual machines, you can enable the time synchronization settings for the virtual platform. In this way, the time of the machine is synchronized with the time of the virtual platform. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know. Best Regards, Daisy Zhou

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