Microsoft Operating System Forum

Steve E.

Problem symptoms:

Slow drift of time and inability to synchronize time with internet time
sources

Conditions:
Time zone, date, and time are all correct within 5 minutes
Windows Vista Business edition (build 6000)
Intel core2 Quad, 2GB memory, 500MB disk
All up to date with microsoft update
ALL updates applied, not just critical ones
Windows is the only firewall in place (NO Nortons or McAfee!)

Using 'Date and Time' - 'Internet Time Settings' - 'Update now'

I get the error message:

"An error occurred while Windows was synchronizing with <time server name>

I have 12 time servers, level 1 and 2. NONE of the servers work with
built-in synch

================================================== ===
Found on Internet:

The first thing that you want to check is that you can in fact reach the
time source from the PDC; things such as firewalls and bad routing can cause
a time source to be unreachable. You can test the route to the time source by
using the w32tm command:

w32tm /stripchart /computer:time.windows.com /samples:3

Keep in mind to replace time.windows.com with the name of your time source
(IP address or DNS name). You should see something like:

Tracking time.windows.com [ ].
Collecting 3 samples.
The current time is 1/2/2008 10:13:07 AM.
10:13:07 d:+00.0060006s o:-00.0341482s [ *
]
10:13:09 d:+00.0060006s o:-00.0367508s [ *
]
10:13:11 d:+00.0080008s o:-00.0393534s [ *
]

If you see something like the above, then you are able to contact the time
source. If not, you may want to look into your network configuration to
ensure that port 123 (NTP) is open.

Did this and it works!.. so should mean that firewall is ok and network is ok
================================================== ===
Tried this:

C:\Windows\system32>net stop w32time
The Windows Time service is stopping.
The Windows Time service was stopped successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /unregister
W32Time successfully unregistered.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /unregister
W32Time successfully unregistered.

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /register
W32Time successfully registered.

C:\Windows\system32>reg add
hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\w32time\par am
eters\ /v NtpServer /t reg_sz /d time-a.nist.gov /f
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Windows\system32>net start w32time
The Windows Time service is starting.
The Windows Time service was started successfully.


No error messages but Did nothing, no change.
================================================== ===
Result of Resync command:

C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /resync
Sending resync command to local computer
The computer did not resync because no time data was available.

error, but not very informative
================================================== ===

tried turning off DST and re-synching...

still get 'An error occurred while WIndows was synchronizing with
time-a.nist.gov'

================================================== ===
Tried using IP instead of DNS with 207.46.130.100 (windows time) just in
case DNS issue.

still no good
================================================== ===
Tried turning off the windows firewall ...
no good
================================================== ===
I read several places that kb942763, which is the update for DST for vista,
may be causing trouble so....
================================================== ===
remove kb942763 and restart.....
no good... and it wants me to reinstall the hotfix
i will..... i did and it does not work
================================================== ===
installed and tried 3rd party time synch utils... both worked fine

This tells me that that the network and firewall are both configured correctly
================================================== ===
oh, by the way, my Time zone, date and time are set correctly... not too far
off for resynch
================================================== ===
From a forum:

It's probably being blocked by you firewall protection s/w. If you are
using Windows Firewall, go to:
Start>Control Panel>Fire Wall>Allow Programs Through Fire Wall>check -
Internet Time Server
Bob F.

'Internet Time Server' does not appear in my list of programs but just for
kicks, i opened UDP ports 123 (NTP) and 37 (TIME) even though I don't believe
windows blocks outgoing requests.
Still no good...
================================================== ===
Needless to say, I've been going crazy for several days now and am ready to
just install 3rd party software to keep my time correct. Any help would be
greatly appreciated.

Steve

Alex T. MVP

How old is the PC? Have you checked your CMOS battery? I knwo that can have
a adverse affect on the Windows time.
--
~A.K.A. Makaveli213~
~Windows Desktop Experience MVP~


"Steve E." wrote:

> Problem symptoms:
>
> Slow drift of time and inability to synchronize time with internet time
> sources
>
> Conditions:
> Time zone, date, and time are all correct within 5 minutes
> Windows Vista Business edition (build 6000)
> Intel core2 Quad, 2GB memory, 500MB disk
> All up to date with microsoft update
> ALL updates applied, not just critical ones
> Windows is the only firewall in place (NO Nortons or McAfee!)
>
> Using 'Date and Time' - 'Internet Time Settings' - 'Update now'
>
> I get the error message:
>
> "An error occurred while Windows was synchronizing with <time server name>
>
> I have 12 time servers, level 1 and 2. NONE of the servers work with
> built-in synch
>
> ================================================== ===
> Found on Internet:
>
> The first thing that you want to check is that you can in fact reach the
> time source from the PDC; things such as firewalls and bad routing can cause
> a time source to be unreachable. You can test the route to the time source by
> using the w32tm command:
>
> w32tm /stripchart /computer:time.windows.com /samples:3
>
> Keep in mind to replace time.windows.com with the name of your time source
> (IP address or DNS name). You should see something like:
>
> Tracking time.windows.com [ ].
> Collecting 3 samples.
> The current time is 1/2/2008 10:13:07 AM.
> 10:13:07 d:+00.0060006s o:-00.0341482s [ *
> ]
> 10:13:09 d:+00.0060006s o:-00.0367508s [ *
> ]
> 10:13:11 d:+00.0080008s o:-00.0393534s [ *
> ]
>
> If you see something like the above, then you are able to contact the time
> source. If not, you may want to look into your network configuration to
> ensure that port 123 (NTP) is open.
>
> Did this and it works!.. so should mean that firewall is ok and network is ok
> ================================================== ===
> Tried this:
>
> C:\Windows\system32>net stop w32time
> The Windows Time service is stopping.
> The Windows Time service was stopped successfully.
>
> C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /unregister
> W32Time successfully unregistered.
>
> C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /unregister
> W32Time successfully unregistered.
>
> C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /register
> W32Time successfully registered.
>
> C:\Windows\system32>reg add
> hklm\system\currentcontrolset\services\w32time\par am
> eters\ /v NtpServer /t reg_sz /d time-a.nist.gov /f
> The operation completed successfully.
>
> C:\Windows\system32>net start w32time
> The Windows Time service is starting.
> The Windows Time service was started successfully.
>
>
> No error messages but Did nothing, no change.
> ================================================== ===
> Result of Resync command:
>
> C:\Windows\system32>w32tm /resync
> Sending resync command to local computer
> The computer did not resync because no time data was available.
>
> error, but not very informative
> ================================================== ===
>
> tried turning off DST and re-synching...
>
> still get 'An error occurred while WIndows was synchronizing with
> time-a.nist.gov'
>
> ================================================== ===
> Tried using IP instead of DNS with 207.46.130.100 (windows time) just in
> case DNS issue.
>
> still no good
> ================================================== ===
> Tried turning off the windows firewall ...
> no good
> ================================================== ===
> I read several places that kb942763, which is the update for DST for vista,
> may be causing trouble so....
> ================================================== ===
> remove kb942763 and restart.....
> no good... and it wants me to reinstall the hotfix
> i will..... i did and it does not work
> ================================================== ===
> installed and tried 3rd party time synch utils... both worked fine
>
> This tells me that that the network and firewall are both configured correctly
> ================================================== ===
> oh, by the way, my Time zone, date and time are set correctly... not too far
> off for resynch
> ================================================== ===
> From a forum:
>
> It's probably being blocked by you firewall protection s/w. If you are
> using Windows Firewall, go to:
> Start>Control Panel>Fire Wall>Allow Programs Through Fire Wall>check -
> Internet Time Server
> Bob F.
>
> 'Internet Time Server' does not appear in my list of programs but just for
> kicks, i opened UDP ports 123 (NTP) and 37 (TIME) even though I don't believe
> windows blocks outgoing requests.
> Still no good...
> ================================================== ===
> Needless to say, I've been going crazy for several days now and am ready to
> just install 3rd party software to keep my time correct. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Steve
>

Steve E.

New machine.. several months old.. keeps time fine.. just normal cmos drift,
nothing radical, a few seconds a day.. I don't suspect the battery. Besides,
that wouldn't cause error messages. If the battery were bad, the time should
drift until it was out of range before it caused any problems. The machine is
left on 24/7 most of the time.

Thanks for the response

Steve

"Alex T. MVP" wrote:

> How old is the PC? Have you checked your CMOS battery? I knwo that can have
> a adverse affect on the Windows time.
> --
> ~A.K.A. Makaveli213~
> ~Windows Desktop Experience MVP~
>
>
> "Steve E." wrote:
>
> > Problem symptoms:
> >
>