Windows 10 time gone nuts

[peppergomez]

The clock on my system is acting very oddly. A few hours behind, sometimes off by minutes, too, so I know it's not just a time zone issue. I'll toggle Set time automatically and it will reset to the proper time. But it'll fuck up shortly after. This is new behavior. I have a legit install and have had it for months, so I don't know what the deal is.

Edit-- It's now about 1:30 and I just got home. Computer clock in right-hand toolbar reads 9:08 PM. wtf?

 

[evilsofa]

If the Internet Time server is set to time.windows.com, try time.nist.gov instead.

 

[peppergomez]

Thanks

 

[peppergomez]

I did that but the time is still not updating. Just turned my computer on. It's 10:53, and computer reads 3:40AM

 

[Damar]

Only time I ever had clock issues like that was when the battery on the MB was dying.

This was years ago though and it was an oooooold MB.

 

[evilsofa]

Well, per OP's sig, are BIOS batteries in Sandy Bridge motherboards old enough to start dying yet? It's only been 4 years. Maybe if it was a bad quality battery? I guess that's what I would try next.

 

[peppergomez]

Hey folks,

Resurrecting this thread. I replaced the battery on my Mobo and that seemed to do the trick, until recently. The same issue is back...the clock is not staying current.

I think I've eliminated the mobo battery as a problem. Any other ideas?

Thanks.

 

[pxc]

You can change a value in the registry to poll the time server more frequently than default using this registry entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollInterval

The default is once every 7 days (604800 seconds). You also have to make sure the SpecialInterval flag is set on this key (it is set by default):
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\Parameters\NtpServer

That entry will contain something like "time.windows.com,0x9", where the ",0x9" part is what you need to check. The number should be odd in order to set the SpecialInterval flag. Say it contained ",0x2": change that part to ",0x3". Same with ",0x0" (",0x1"), ",0x4" (",0x5") or ",0x8" (",0x9").

 

[Monkey God]

Sounds like an issue with your BIOS. Go into BIOS and watch the clock - see if you see odd behavior there and avoid the OS altogether in your troubleshooting.

 

[Spartacus]

Good idea about watching the clock in the BIOS setup.

Let the system run a couple hours in Safe Mode to see if it still goes nuts.
It's possible you may have some process running that jams up the clock.

It's been many years since I had a mobo that had a bad RTC (Real Time Clock)
but it can happen. It used to be that you checked/replaced the battery first, then
if the time keeping still failed, you replaced the mobo due to the failed RTC.

Something to consider if it can't be explained by something else.

 

[Demon10000]

If replacing the battery worked for a while, I wouldn't rule out the battery as the problem again. If it wasn't part of the problem, it wouldn't have fixed anything the first time you did it.

It may be something causing the battery to die quickly. You can always test the battery, too.. should be pretty easy to measure with a meter.

 

[Spartacus]

If replacing the battery worked for a while, I wouldn't rule out the battery as the problem again. If it wasn't part of the problem, it wouldn't have fixed anything the first time you did it.

It may be something causing the battery to die quickly. You can always test the battery, too.. should be pretty easy to measure with a meter.

Very true especially if the replacement battery was salvaged from an old mobo.
New ones are only a couple bucks at the drug stores.

 

[peppergomez]

Thanks folks

I used a new battery and wouldn't expect to to die so quickly

 

[gamerk2]

Probably either the motherboards RTC died, or for whatever reason Windows isn't polling for a time update.

 

[auntjemima]

Even if windows wasn't polling for a new update I still wouldn't expect it to be so far off so quickly. Or barely at all for ages for the matter.

 

[hawk82]

I've had clients turn off their computers via a power strip or shut off the UPS and that drains more life out of the CMOS battery.