Sync Time with NTP

Question

Hi,

I would like to sync my Windows Server 2019 time to 0.ca.pool.ntp.org instead of Local CMOS Clock

Answer 1

Hello @Manjot Singh ,

Thank you for posting here.

1.Would you please tell us whether your Windows server 2019 is in one domain or not?
2.Is your Windows server 2019 virtual machine or physical machine?

If your your Windows server 2019 is in one domain, we can see Time Synchronization in an AD DS Hierarchy.

1.Time on PDC is synchronized with external NTP time server.
2.TIme on other DCs is synchronized with PDC.
3.Time on domain clients and member servers is synchronized with other DCs.

Registry configuration method

===PDC===

(If PDC is a virtual machine, set the first one entry, if PDC is not a virtual machine, don’t set this one entry)

HLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\w32time\TimeProviders\VMICTimeProvider
Name: Enabled
Type: REG_DWORD
Data:0

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config
Key Name: AnnounceFlags
Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value )
Data: 0x5

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\Type
Key Name: Type
Type: REG_SZ(String Value)
Data: NTP

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters
Key Name: NtpServer
Type: REG_SZ(String Value)
Data: Peers （time.windows.com,0x9）

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer
Key Name: Enabled
Type: REG_DWORD
Data: 1

===other DC & Client===

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\Type
Key Name: Type
Type: REG_SZ(String Value)
Data: NT5DS

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config
Key Name: AnnounceFlags
Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value )
Data: 0xa

GPO configuration methond

Time Synchronization in Active Directory Forests
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/18573.time-synchronization-in-active-directory-forests.aspx

Reference
How the Windows Time Service Works
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2003/cc773013(v=ws.10)?redirectedfrom=MSDN

If your Windows server 2019 is not in any one domain, we can configure it as below.

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters\Type
Key Name: Type
Type: REG_SZ(String Value)
Data: NTP

Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters
Key Name: NtpServer
Type: REG_SZ(String Value)
Data: 0.ca.pool.ntp.org

Tip: Please back up your registry first before changing it.

Hope the information above is helpful.

Should you have any question or concern, please feel free to let us know.

Best Regards,
Daisy Zhou

Answer 2

Hi @Manjot Singh
Thank You for posting in Q & A.

Follow the below URL
CONFIGURING NTP SERVER FOR TIME SYNCHRONIZATION

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Answer 3

I had this problem with a Windows 11 machine but another identical machine worked fine.

The problem like you mentioned is that the source is pointing to the Local CMOS clock and the configuration shows

Type: NTP (Policy)
NtpServer: ,0x1 (Policy)

No matter what I tried (including overriding the registry SpecialPollTimeRemaining key, it would always reset back to CMOS and the blank NtpServer.

The solution I eventually found was to create a group policy using gpedit.msc under Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Windows Time Service -> Time Providers -> Configure Windows NTP Client

• Enable this policy
• Set the NtpServer to time.windows.com,0x9
• Set the Type to NTP

Save it, run gpupdate from Run to apply the policy.

Now you should see w32tm /query /configuration show

Type: NTP (Policy)
NtpServer: time.windows.com,0x9 (Policy)

Once it shows this, go back into gpedit.msc and set the Configure Windows NTP Client to Not configured, re-run gpupdate to apply the new policy and now when you run w32tm /query /configuration it should show you the correct information

Type: NTP (Local)
NtpServer: time.windows.com (Local)

and when you run w32tm /query /source it should show you

time.windows.com,0x9

This was the only way I could reset windows time to use a NTP server correctly