Windows 11 Pro - need very accurate time

Question

guys - I have a surveillance workgroup computer with some 3rd party apps that use Windows time and hence I need the time to be accurate down to the second. Currently it's off by 2-3 seconds and gets in sync when I do a manual sync. I saw these instructions on another site and were wondering if they are still valid or if there is a better sway

I think the correct answer to this question is to decrease the MaxPollInterval and MinPollInterval entry in the registry in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config

These values are 2^MinPollInterval seconds. So if you want 5 minutes, you should set your MinPollInterval to 8 (2^8 = 256 seconds). Your MaxPollInterval, you can set it to w.e. you like, but 10 is the default for domain controllers (2^10 sec = 17 min). EDIT: After some testing, the MinPollInterval wasn't the time interval that was being used to do the time checks.

Also note that there are parameters that allow you to change how much time desynchronization is allowed (MaxAllowedPhaseOffset), and if a time synchronization has to happen, if it will happen gradually or instantaneously.

Note that you can set MaxAllowedPhaseOffset to 0 (seconds), which means that it will force a synchronization at every time check.

Answer 1

Hello,

Here is the link to the Microsoft page for configuring high accuracy systems;

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/networking/windows-time-service/configuring-systems-for-high-accuracy

Another link with more info on the time registry settings

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/windows-server/active-directory/configure-w32ime-against-huge-time-offset

Darrell

Answer 2

Hello Jake Sokol,

Thank you for posting in Q&A forum.

It sounds like you need to ensure your computer's time is consistently accurate for your surveillance workgroup. Here are a few steps you can take to address this issue:

1. Make sure your computer is set to synchronize with an accurate time server. You can do this by going to Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time and then selecting Sync now under Synchronize your clock.
2. Sometimes, the default time server might not be the most accurate. You can change the time server to a more reliable one.

For example, you can use time.windows.com or pool.ntp.org. To change the time server, open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following command:

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"pool.ntp.org" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:YES /update

w32tm /resync

3. Ensure that your computer has a stable internet connection, as time synchronization relies on network connectivity.
4. Ensure that your computer's BIOS/UEFI settings are correct, and that the system clock is set accurately.

I hope the information above is helpful.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,

Daisy Zhou

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