Download ArticleDownload ArticleHow.com.vn is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 17 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.
This article has been viewed 272,845 times.
Learn more...
Your computer's clock may be as many as a few seconds to a few minutes off the correct time. Therefore, Windows includes a time synchronization scheduler to synchronize your clock automatically, located on the Internet Time tab in the Date & Time Settings. The default interval for this process is one week (which is 604,800 seconds). There is no way to change this interval through the user interface, it has to be done using the registry editor (regedit).
Steps
Download Article
Open Internet Time Synchronization. To do this, open Date and Time Settings. You can do this either through the Control Panel, or by clicking on the time on the taskbar, then clicking "Change date and time settings..." then clicking the "Internet Time" tab.- Verify the computer is set to synchronize automatically.
Open the Registry Editor. There are several ways of doing this, choose the most convenient for you. If you get a User Account Control dialog, click Yes.- Press the Windows logo key and R. This will open the Run dialog. Then type regedit and click OK.
- Alternatively, open the Start Menu and type "regedit" in the search box. Click the regedit program to open.
Advertisement
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient. Just click the arrows next to the folder icons to navigate to the correct directories. You may have to scroll a bit when you reach the SYSTEM key.
Right click on the SpecialPollInterval key, then click Modify.
Convert your desired time to seconds. You can quickly do this using Google or a website like Easysurf.
Click Decimal. Then, enter your interval in seconds (without commas), and click OK.
Close the Registry Editor.
Open Date and Time Settings. Click Internet Time, click Change Settings, then Update Now. This will immediately synchronize your clock. Click OK to close the dialog.
Confirm your new synchronization interval works. If it does, the next synchronization time should be exactly one interval away from the time you synchronized.
Community Q&A
- QuestionWill this cause an issue with my Internet access?
Community AnswerNo, it won't cause internet access issues. - QuestionWhat units are the value for the system variable that I change in in Windows?
Community AnswerYou may specify decimal (base 10, like our number system) or hexadecimal (base 16, used in the programming industry). - QuestionPurely for curiosity's sake, why not set it to less than 15 minutes?
ArroganceTop AnswererThere's a possibility that Microsoft could block you from the server if you send too many requests in a short amount of time.
Tips
- A synchronization interval of one day is usually enough for most users. However, if you need a highly accurate time and your clock drifts often, an hour should be suitable. Under no circumstances should you poll a time server more often than once every 15 minutes.Thanks
- If you are interested in how it works, look up "Network Time Protocol".Thanks
- If your computer is not synchronizing at the correct time, you may need to tell the Time Service to use the SpecialPollInterval setting. See this link for instructions.Thanks
Warnings
- Keep in mind that it takes several seconds to synchronize the time. So, do not make the interval one second. This will cause unnecessary load to your computer, as it will be constantly running the synchronization program.Thanks
About This Article
Is this article up to date?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
