This tutorial will show you how all or prevent specific users and groups to change the time zone in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
A time zone is a geographical region in which the same time is used. Typically, but not always, adjacent time zones are one hour apart. The time in any of the world's time zones can be expressed as an offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
All accounts in the Administrators and Users groups are able to change the time zone by default.
Changing the time zone is applied to all user accounts on the computer, so you may want to restrict which users and/or groups are able to change the time zone.
Reference:
Change the time zone - security policy setting - Windows 10
You must be signed in as an administrator to change the time zone security policy setting.
- Option One: Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to Change Time Zone in Local Security Policy
- Option Two: Allow or Prevent Users and Groups to Change Time Zone using NTrights Command
Local Security Policy (secpol.msc) is only available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 and Windows 11. Local Security Policy is not available in the Home edition.
1 Open Local Security Policy (secpol.msc).
2 Expand open Local Policies in the left pane of Local Security Policy, click/tap on User Rights Assignment, and double click/tap on the Change the time zone policy in the right pane. (see screenshot below)
3 Do step 4 (allow) or step 5 (prevent) below for what you want.
Do not remove LOCAL SERVICE since this is used by Windows.
6 You can now close the Local Security Policy window if you like.
All editions of Windows can use this option.
1 Download the ntrights.exe file in a ZIP below from the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit.
2 Save the ntrights.zip file to your desktop.
3 Unblock the ntrights.zip file.
4 Extract the ntrights.exe file from the ntrights.zip file.
5 Open Terminal (Admin), and select Command Prompt.
6 Type the command you want below into in Terminal (Admin), and press Enter. (see screenshots below)
"full path of ntrights.exe file" +r SeTimeZonePrivilege -u "<User or Group>""full path of ntrights.exe file" -r SeTimeZonePrivilege -u "<User or Group>"Do not remove LOCAL SERVICE since this is used by Windows.
Substitute full path of ntrights.exe file in the command above with the actual full path of the ntrights.exe file from step 4.
Substitute <User or Group> in the command above with the actual user or group (ex: "Users") you want to allow or prevent.
For example: "C:\Users\Brink\Desktop\ntrights.exe" -r SeTimeZonePrivilege -u "Users"
That's it,
Shawn Brink
