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Event ID 42 — Service Status and Configuration

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008

The Windows Time service updates the time server configuration settings or status. Changes to configuration are implemented when the service is restarted and when the W32tm command is used with the /update switch. These configuration or status changes occur when the Windows Time service:

  • Enters a running status.
  • Sets up the log file to record operational information. The debug logging feature of the Windows Time service can be used to help troubleshoot issues.
  • Registers for network configuration change events. Computers use the network to send time samples back and forth.
  • Creates a named event, which is a shared resource that is used for synchronizing time.
  • Saves configuration settings to the registry.

Event Details

Product: Windows Operating System
ID: 42
Source: Microsoft-Windows-Time-Service
Version: 6.0
Symbolic Name: MSG_NAMED_EVENT_ALREADY_OPEN
Message: The time service attempted to create a named event which was already opened. This could be the result of an attempt to compromise your system's security.

Resolve

Confirm system integrity

The Windows Time service is malfunctioning. This may indicate an attempt to compromise system security, or it may indicate a software or hardware malfunction. Attempt to restart the Windows Time service. If that does not resolve this issue, restart the computer. Ensure that your antivirus tools are up to date, and scan the system for malicious software.

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority. Perform all steps on the computer that is logging the event to be resolved.

To restart the Windows Time service:

  1. Click Start. In Start Search, type services.msc, and then press ENTER. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue. The Services snap-in opens.
  2. In the list of services, right-click Windows Time, and then click Restart.

Verify

To verify that the Windows Time service is functioning properly, restart the service, and then check Event Viewer for entries that indicate a successful restart and system time synchronization.

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To verify that the Windows Time service is functioning properly:

  1. Click Start. In Start Search, type services.msc, and then click OK. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
  2. In the list of services, right-click Windows Time, and then click Restart.

When the service restarts successfully, the Service Control Manager reports that the Windows Time service has entered the running state (Event ID 7036) in the Event Viewer. The W32Time source in Event Viewer also reports that the Windows Time service is successfully receiving and synchronizing its clock (Event IDs 37 and 35, respectively).

For more information about the Windows Time service, see Windows Time Service Technical Reference https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=25393).

Service Status and Configuration

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