| Computer time synchronisation is highly important in | | | | In the right pane, right-click Enabled, then click Modify |
| modern computer networks, precision and time | | | | In the Edit DWord Value box, type 1 under Value |
| synchronization is critical in many applications, | | | | data, then click OK. |
| particularly time sensitive transactions. Just imagine | | | | Exit Registry Editor |
| buying an airline seat only to be told at the airport | | | | Click Start, then Run then type the following and |
| that the ticket was sold twice because it was | | | | press Enter: |
| purchased afterwards on a computer that had a | | | | Net stop w32time && net start w32time |
| slower clock! | | | | To reset the local computers' time, type the |
| Modern computers do have internal clocks called Real | | | | following on all computers except for the time server |
| Time Clock chips (RTC) that provide time and date | | | | which must not be synchronised with itself: |
| information. These chips are battery backed so that | | | | W32tm/resync/rediscover |
| even during power outages, they can maintain time | | | | To configure Windows Time to use an external time |
| but personal computers are not designed to be | | | | source |
| perfect clocks. Their design has been optimized for | | | | Run Registry Edit and locate the following: |
| mass production and low-cost rather than maintaining | | | | rvicesW32Timeparameters |
| accurate time. | | | | In the right pane, right-click Type, then click Modify |
| For many applications, this is can be quite adequate, | | | | In the Edit Value box, under Value Data, type NTP |
| although, quite often machines need time to be | | | | and then click OK. |
| synchronised with other PC's on a network and when | | | | Now as before in the Config folder, right-click |
| computers are out of sync with each other problems | | | | AnnounceFlags, Modify and in the Edit DWORD Value |
| can arise such as sharing network files or in some | | | | box, under Value Data, type 5, then click OK. |
| environments even fraud! | | | | Locate and click the following |
| Microsoft Windows XP has a time synchronisation | | | | rvicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpClient |
| utility built into the operating system called Windows | | | | In the right pane, right-click SpecialPollInterval, then |
| Time (w32time.exe) which can be configured to | | | | click Modify. |
| operate as a network time server. It can be | | | | In the Edit DWORD Value box, under Value Data, |
| configured to both synchronise a network using the | | | | type the number of seconds you want for each poll, |
| internal clock or an external time source. | | | | ie 900 will poll every 15 minutes, then click OK. |
| Note: Microsoft strongly recommends that you | | | | Now enable the NtpServer: |
| configure a time server with a hardware source | | | | rvicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpServer |
| rather than from the internet where there is no | | | | In the right pane, right-click Enabled, then click Modify |
| authentication. | | | | In the Edit DWord Value box, type 1 under Value |
| To configure Windows Time service to use the | | | | data, then click OK. |
| internal hardware clock, first check that w32time is | | | | Now in the right pane, right-click NtpServer, then |
| located in the system services list in the registry, to | | | | Modify and in the Edit DWORD Value under Value |
| check: | | | | Data type Peers, then click OK. |
| Click Start, Run then type regedit then click ok. | | | | To configure the time correction settings, locate: |
| Locate and then click the following registry entry: | | | | rvicesW32Timeconfig |
| rvicesW32Time | | | | In the right pane, right-click MaxPosPhaseCorrection, |
| It is highly recommended that you back up the | | | | then Modify, in the Edit DWORD Value box, under |
| registry as serious problems may occur if you modify | | | | Base, click Decimal, under Value Data, type a time in |
| the registry incorrectly, modifications to the registry | | | | seconds such as 3600 (an hour) then click OK. |
| are done at your own risk. | | | | Now go back and click: |
| To begin configuration for an internal clock, click on | | | | rvicesW32Timeconfig |
| Config in the w32Time folder. | | | | In the right pane, right-click MaxNegPhaseCorrection, |
| In the right pane, right-click AnnounceFlags, then click | | | | then Modify. |
| modify. | | | | In the Edit DWORD box under base, click Decimal, |
| The 'AnnounceFlags' registry entry indicates whether | | | | under value data type the time in seconds you want |
| the server is a trusted time reference, 5 indicates a | | | | to poll such as 3600 (polls in one hour) |
| trusted source so in the Edit DWord Value box, | | | | Exit Registry |
| under Value Data, type 5, then click OK. | | | | Now to restart windows time service, click Start, Run |
| Network Time Protocol (NTP) is an Internet protocol | | | | and type:net stop w32time && net start w32time |
| used for the transfer of accurate time, providing | | | | And on each computer, other than the domain |
| time information along so that a precise time can be | | | | controller, type: |
| obtained | | | | W32tm/resync/rediscover |
| To enable the Network Time Protocol; NTPserver, | | | | And that's it your time server should be now up and |
| locate and click: | | | | running. |
| rvicesW32TimeTimeProvidersNtpServer | | | | |