Windows Time Is Not Syncing Automatically

Stigg · Sep 11, 2023

My Windows 11 laptop won't sync the time with any NTP time servers automatically. I've tried a few different NTP time servers, but with the same result. It syncs fine if I go into Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time and click "Sync Now". The "Set the time automatically" switch is on.

If I go into Services and look at Windows Time, the service is running and has a Manual (Trigger Start).
On my other computers, the Windows Time service is also running and has a Manual (Trigger Start).

My laptop loses quite a bit of time, so automatic time sync is important to me.
Are there any other reasons why Windows time may not be syncing automatically?

FreeBooter · Sep 11, 2023

You can reset the Windows Time service configurations using Command Prompt.

Open the Command Prompt by typing cmd.exe into Start Menu, right-click on Cmd.exe, and open it as an administrator.

Execute below commands one at a time:

Code:

net stop w32time


w32tm /unregister


w32tm /register


net start w32time


w32tm /resync /nowait

Once you completed the steps, your device should now synchronize with its clock over the internet.

Windows uses time.windows.com as the default time server. If that time server is not working for you or if you want to use some other custom time server, you can do that too.

Open the command prompt as admin and execute the following command.

Code:

w32tm /config /update /manualpeerlist:time.server.url.com

Don't forget to replace time.server.url.com with the actual time server URL. You can use the pool.ntp.org: NTP Servers in Global, pool.ntp.org to find the time server addresses of different countries and places.

As soon as you execute the command, Windows will access that time server, gets the time and syncs it with your system.

barreleye · Sep 12, 2023

I've been using the "Actually Synchronize Time" scheduled task described below since 2011, including in Windows 11:

Make Windows synchronize time more often

www.pretentiousname.com

Stigg · Sep 12, 2023

FreeBooter said:
You can reset the Windows Time service configurations using Command Prompt.

Open the Command Prompt by typing cmd.exe into Start Menu, right-click on Cmd.exe, and open it as an administrator.

Execute below commands one at a time:

Code:

net stop w32time w32tm /unregister w32tm /register net start w32time w32tm /resync /nowait

Once you completed the steps, your device should now synchronize with its clock over the internet.

Thanks, FreeBooter.
I just ran the above commands and rebooted, and when I had a look, it had recently synced automatically.
I'll keep an eye on it to see if it continues to sync the time automatically.

Do you happen to know how often it is supposed to automatically sync the time?

Stigg · Sep 12, 2023

barreleye said:
I've been using the "Actually Synchronize Time" scheduled task described below since 2011, including in Windows 11:

Make Windows synchronize time more often

www.pretentiousname.com

That's a handy one.

Dru2 · Sep 12, 2023

Stigg said:
I just ran the above commands and rebooted, and when I had a look, it had recently synced automatically.
I'll keep an eye on it to see if it continues to sync the time automatically.

Do you happen to know how often it is supposed to automatically sync the time?

I never sync my time, I just let Windows do what it does. No issues here.

That said, if you find your time is constantly off, you might check that the time / date in the BIOS is correct. And/or you might also need to replace the CMOS (BIOS) battery.

Just something to be aware of.

Peace

Mooly · Sep 12, 2023

Stigg said:
My laptop loses quite a bit of time, so automatic time sync is important to me.
Are there any other reasons why Windows time may not be syncing automatically?

Do you have 'Fast Start' disabled?

When did your clock last synchronise?

FreeBooter · Sep 12, 2023

Stigg said:
Thanks, FreeBooter.
I just ran the above commands and rebooted, and when I had a look, it had recently synced automatically.
I'll keep an eye on it to see if it continues to sync the time automatically.

Do you happen to know how often it is supposed to automatically sync the time?

You only need to sync only once, that should resolve the sync problem.

Dru2 · Sep 12, 2023

Mooly said:
Do you have 'Fast Start' disabled?

When did your clock last synchronise?

I do not believe Fast Start has anything to do with time errors. Certainly not my experience.

Stigg · Sep 12, 2023

I just checked SpecialPollInterval on another computer at:

Code:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient

and the interval time is set to 32768 seconds, which is about 9.1 hours. I haven't changed it, so I guess that's the default.

glasskuter · Sep 12, 2023

Syncing will also get off if you have the incorrect time zone set. All computers sold in the US default to Pacific time unless the user changes to correct time zone.

Mooly · Sep 12, 2023

Dru2 said:
I do not believe Fast Start has anything to do with time errors. Certainly not my experience.

I've proved that specific issue on two different laptops. It is a bug and although I've reported it a couple of times it has not to my knowledge been fixed.

If the op has not turned off Fast Start then obviously its not that but he just needs to confirm that first.

Stigg · Sep 12, 2023

Mooly said:
Do you have 'Fast Start' disabled?

When did your clock last synchronise?

I have fast start-up disabled on all my computers.

Fabler2 · Sep 12, 2023

Also see my post,

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/time.17618/post-338111

Works flawlessly for me.

Still shows 'time.windows.com' but actually syncs with pool.ntp.org.

Edit: booted up around 07:42 and it synced at 08:02.

Ghot · Sep 12, 2023

Stigg said:
My Windows 11 laptop won't sync the time with any NTP time servers automatically. I've tried a few different NTP time servers, but with the same result. It syncs fine if I go into Settings > Time & Language > Date & Time and click "Sync Now". The "Set the time automatically" switch is on.

If I go into Services and look at Windows Time, the service is running and has a Manual (Trigger Start).
On my other computers, the Windows Time service is also running and has a Manual (Trigger Start).

My laptop loses quite a bit of time, so automatic time sync is important to me.
Are there any other reasons why Windows time may not be syncing automatically?

I seem to recall that I had to do the following, to get things to work properly...

1. Toggle "Set time automatically" to OFF
2. Set the other three items in the RED box as shown (your time zone may differ)
3. Then, toggle "Set time automatically" back to ON.

Mooly · Sep 12, 2023

Stigg said:
I have fast start-up disabled on all my computers.

Well... every time I have tried disabling Fast Start I found the clock did not synchronise. I've tried it several times, always the same. I call this a bug, one that Microsoft have yet to acknowledge and resolve.

Ghot · Sep 12, 2023

Mooly said:
Well... every time I have tried disabling Fast Start I found the clock did not synchronise. I've tried it several times, always the same. I call this a bug, one that Microsoft have yet to acknowledge and resolve.

When I disabled Hibernate, it automatically disabled Fast Startup.
In Power Options, I don't even have the toggle to enable Fast Startup, since I disabled Hibernate.
I have no time sync issues.

Maybe I don't have sync issues because I also have Hibernate disabled.

In other words... maybe if you "only" disable Fast Startup, but leave Hibernate enabled... you get time sync issues?
I don't know for sure, it's just a thought...

Enable or Disable Hibernate in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable hibernate and restore or delete the hiberfil.sys file in Windows 11. Hibernate is a power-saving state designed primarily for laptops, and might not be available for all PCs. (For example, PCs with Modern Standby may not have hibernate...

www.elevenforum.com

Mooly · Sep 12, 2023

Ghot said:
In other words... maybe if you "only" disable Fast Startup, but leave Hibernate enabled... you get time sync issues?
I don't know for sure, it's just a thought...

I really don't know on that. At the time I disabled Fast Start because of Night Light issues but that problem got sorted in a past update and so I do tend use Fast Start now.

Stigg · Sep 14, 2023

Ghot said:
I seem to recall that I had to do the following, to get things to work properly...

1. Toggle "Set time automatically" to OFF
2. Set the other three items in the RED box as shown (your time zone may differ)
3. Then, toggle "Set time automatically" back to ON.

View attachment 70793

Thanks for that.
I tried messing around with those settings, but it's still not fixed.

Stigg · Oct 4, 2023

Mooly said:
Well... every time I have tried disabling Fast Start I found the clock did not synchronise. I've tried it several times, always the same. I call this a bug, one that Microsoft have yet to acknowledge and resolve.

It seems like a long shot to me, but I've enabled fast startup in a last ditch effort to try and sort this bug out. The only odd thing is, I don't have this problem on any other computer with fast startup disabled.