Windows 10: Add and Remove Internet Time Servers in Windows

How to: Add and Remove Internet Time Servers in Windows

How to Add and Remove Internet Time Servers in Windows


Your PC's clock is used to record the time whenever you create or modify files on your PC. You can change the clock's time zone[/b].

You can synchronize your PC's clock with an Internet time server. This means that the clock on your PC is updated to match the clock on the time server, which can help ensure that the clock's time on your PC is accurate. Your clock is typically automatically updated once a week and needs to be connected to the Internet for the synchronization to occur.

Windows includes a list of available Internet time servers to select from by default, but you can add and remove time servers you want from this list.

This tutorial will show you how to add and remove Internet time servers (NTP server) used to synchronize your clock in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to add or remove an Internet time server.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Add Internet Time Server in Control Panel
• Option Two: Add Internet Time Server in Registry Editor
• Option Three: Remove Internet Time Server in Registry Editor

EXAMPLE: List of available time servers in Windows









OPTION ONE [/i] Add Internet Time Server in Control Panel
1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Date and Time icon.

2. Click/tap on the Internet Time tab, and click/tap on the Change settings button. (see screenshot below)

*note If your PC is on a domain, then you will not have an Internet Time tab. Your clock will automatically synchronize with the domain controller instead.



3. Check the Synchronize with an Internet time server box. (see screenshot below)



4. Type the time server (ex: "time-a.nist.gov") you want to add, and click/tap on OK.

*note You can see a list of Internet time servers at the Microsoft link below to add.

A list of the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) time servers that are available on the Internet



5. Click/tap on OK, and close the Control Panel if you like. (see screenshot below)








OPTION TWO [/i] Add Internet Time Server in Registry Editor
1. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. In the right pane, make note of the string value numbers to see the next number (ex: "3") in the sequence you will need to create. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers




3. In the right pane of the Servers key, right click or press and hold on an empty area, click/tap on New, and click/tap on String Value. (see screenshot below)



4. Type the next number (ex: "3") in the sequence for the name of this new string value, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)



5. Type the time server (ex: "time-a.nist.gov") you want to add for this string value number (ex: "3"), and click/tap on OK.

*note You can see a list of Internet time servers at the Microsoft link below to add.

A list of the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) time servers that are available on the Internet



6. When finished adding time servers, you can close Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)



7. The added time server(s) will now be available in the list to select as the default Internet Time Server.





OPTION THREE [/i] Remove Internet Time Server in Registry Editor
1. Change the default Internet Time Server to be a time server other than the one you want to remove.

2. Press the Win+R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

3. Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below step 4)
*Arrow HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers
4. In the right pane of the Servers key, right click or press and hold on the string value number (ex: "3") of the time server (ex: "time-a.nist.gov") you want to remove, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below)



5. Click/tap on Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)



6. When finished removing time servers, you can close Registry Editor.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Synchronize Clock with an Internet Time Server in Windows 10
• How to Change Internet Time Server in Windows
• How to Change the Time in Windows 10
• How to Change the Time Zone in Windows 10
• How to Create a Sync Clock Time shortcut in Windows 10

:)

 

Unable to connect to Google servers

There are cases that web content are blocked due to proxy server settings. We suggest that you remove the check mark on the the proxy server box, follow the steps below:

• Type Internet Options in the Ask me anything bar.
• Click on Connections tab.
• Click on LAN settings.
• Remove check in Proxy server box.
  

Once done, access your Google apps and check if issue persist.

Send your post to keep us updated on how the steps goes.

 

Windows fails to synchronize with internet time - it times out

Hi,

You might have a different Date and Time configuration that's why your Windows fails to synchronize with
Internet Time. To have this checked, try to change the server in your Internet Time Settings by following the steps below:

• Go to Control Panel > Date and Time.
• Click on the Internet Time tab: then, click on Change settings.
• Try to change or choose the Server, tick on the Update now, and click on
  OK.

Let us know the results after following the resolution provided.

 

Windows Internet time server is wrong

I think the cause of the issue is the faulty Windows Internet time server. Please make Microsoft aware of the issue.

FYI,

• It's the first time I encountered the issue.
• I didn't make any changes to my PC. There was a cumulative update on March 31, but my PC clock was fine afterwards (Cumulative Update for Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems (KB4015438))
• I'm not getting an error message. The time is wrong.

 

Windows time is wrong

Hi,

We suggest that you follow these steps:

• Press Windows+X and click on
  Control Panel.
• On the left hand side click on Clock, Language and Region.
• Click on Change time zone.
• And then click on the tab Internet Time and click on
  Change settings.
• Check the box Synchronize with an internet time server
  and also select the option time.windows.com
  from the drop down and click on OK and check if the issue persists.

Regards.

 

Synchronize Clock with an Internet Time Server in Windows 10  


With me the Windows time is about 2-3 minutes off.

I did try to resync
Control Panel\Clock, Language and Region->Tab Internet Time change settings
using both time.windows.com and time.nist.gov
no change

then w32tm /resync
then set services.msc windows time->automatic

still no change.

didn't go thru the steps of Joanne: would not know where to find this 'SpecialPollInterval'-thing.

discovered this 'wrong windows time' as I normally set all clocks and my wristwatch to Windows.
Updated all times when changing from Feb. 29 to march 01 and started missing the news on the radio and tv.

Will not be using Windows time anymore.


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