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Accepted
Kyle Brandt
Asked: 2011-07-28 13:47:05 +0800 CST

How do I force sync the time on Windows Workstation or Server?

  • 772

What is the command to sync a Windows workstation or server to its configured time source?

windows time

13 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    As Kyle said w32tm /resync is the modern way to do this. See this Link to Microsoft Knowledgebase (KB 307897) for more information on the w32tm command.

    There is also net time which is an older version but perhaps easier.

    • 113

  2. For those that still asking this question.

    1. To update, use the command below (2008 and 2012 server compatible)

      w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"ntp_server" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update

    change the ntp_server with your source

    1. Restart the time service

      net stop w32time
net start w32time

    2. Resync the time

      w32tm /resync

    3. Verify your sync status 

      w32tm /query /status

    Commands above should be fine if your sources are working correctly and/or your connection is OK (firewall or Microsoft Forefront can be an issue also). The commands below can help with troubleshooting

    To list out peers

    w32tm /query /peers

    To list out NTP Sources:

    w32tm /query /source
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  3. You can use the following command:

    w32tm /resync

    • 25

  4. You can use:

    w32tm /resync

    Additionally, using w32tm /resync /rediscover will also "force redetection of network resourced before resynchronization."

    Or using:

    net time /set

    Will prompt you to set the time to the DC. (Works for older versions of Windows)

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  5. OS: MS Windows 7

    All above ideas have been tried but did not help. The original problem still exists: "The computer did not resync because the required time change was too big."

    Solution is found in the registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\w32time\Config

    • change this if the local time is in a hurry (e.g. 31-Dec-2050): MaxNegPhaseCorrection
    • change this if the local time is delayed (e.g. 1-Jan-1980): MaxPosPhaseCorrection
    • The default values are 0xD2F0 (i.e. 54000 sec. = 15 hours)

    (use Google for more details)

    I use this simple win_clock_sync.bat file from Start Menu StartUp:

    echo off
echo Sync computer time from internet
echo.
echo Back-up registry w32time\Config
reg export HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\w32time\Config exported_w32time.reg /y
rem changing the registry keys temporarly:
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\w32time\Config /v MaxNegPhaseCorrection /d 0xFFFFFFFF /t REG_DWORD /f
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\w32time\Config /v MaxPosPhaseCorrection /d 0xFFFFFFFF /t REG_DWORD /f
echo.
echo w32tm /config /update
w32tm /config /update
echo.
echo w32tm /resync /rediscover 
w32tm /resync /rediscover 
echo.
echo Restore registry w32time\Config
reg import exported_w32time.reg

    Enjoy! :-)

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  6. Powershell one liner if ntp server is configured:

    gsv w32time | sasv; w32tm /resync /force

    You can put this .bat file in the startup if you CMOS batery failed so it can resync upon OS start:

    @powershell -NoProfile -Command 'gsv w32time | sasv; w32tm /resync /force'
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    • change your time server
    w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"0.pool.ntp.org 1.pool.ntp.org" /syncfromflags:manual /update
    • fore update time
    w32tm /resync /force
    • 3 
  8. net start w32time
w32tm /resync

    According to Riot Games

    • 1

  9. Based on my research, I bookmarked this:

    1. If Hyper-v host server is a part of the same domain, disable time sync for PDC guest vm

    2. On PDC(or any single workstation), update from quoted internal DNS or ip untrusted address(0x8):

      W32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"192.168.0.254,0x8" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update

      Powershell Restart-Service w32time

      W32tm /resync /nowait

    3. on dc that is not PDC:

      w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update

      W32tm /resync /rediscover

    4. On servers and other stations for update time only, not config:

      W32tm /resync /nowait

    5. Check that time is really updating(difference ):

      w32tm /stripchart /computer:192.168.0.254 /samples:15 /dataonly

    6. if time service broken or failed and need reset:

      Powershell Stop-service w32time W32tm /unregister Timeout 30 W32tm /register Powershell Start-service w32time

    Note: NTP port is 123 UDP and should give the same output on any healthy computer

    Powershell Get-NetUDPEndpoint -LocalPort 123


LocalAddress                             LocalPort
------------                             ---------
::                                       123
0.0.0.0                                  123

    Other commands w32tm /query /status w32tm /query /peers w32tm /query /configuration

    Best practice from ms: Time Sync best practices

    • 1

  10. Almost none of the solutions (except @Akos) work if the host is an Windows Server 2016 Active Directory Domain Controller (ADDC), as it treats itself as a "reliable" source that cannot make big time change.

    w32tm /resync /force does not work, because the /force does not appear in server 2016.

    net time /SET /Y does not work either, because it would have asked:

    Do you want to set the local computer's time to match the time at \AD.example.net? (Y/N) [Y]

    Of course, it won't work if you are on AD.example.net, /Y just hides the question.

    The steps work for me using PowerShell:

    1. Set w32time service as unreliable:
    w32tm /config /reliable:no /syncfromflags:manual /update

    Option /syncfromflags:manual means sync with NTP listed in peer list (i.e. external NTP), /update for notifying the time service the configuration have changed.

    1. Restart the w32time
    Stop-Service w32time
Start-Service w32time
    1. Sync
    w32tm /resync

    This should work.

    1. If you DO need ADDC as a reliable time source, make it reliable again:
    w32tm /config /reliable:yes /update
Stop-Service w32time
Start-Service w32time
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