Internet time server

[Jud McCranie]

If you click on the time, there is a tab "internet tab" with an
"update now" button. I have three time servers listed (two NIST and
time.windows.com) , but with each of them I get "server not available.
Are there some time servers which are available?

 

[Paul]

If you click on the time, there is a tab "internet tab" with an
"update now" button. I have three time servers listed (two NIST and
time.windows.com) , but with each of them I get "server not available.
Are there some time servers which are available?

There is a pool of servers, to handle the load of all
those requests.

http://www.pool.ntp.org/

There is a usage page here.

http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/use.html

Paul

 

[John Inzer]

If you click on the time, there is a tab "internet tab" with an
"update now" button. I have three time servers listed (two NIST and
time.windows.com) , but with each of them I get "server not available.
Are there some time servers which are available?

=================================
time.windows.com is working for me.

Could be net congestion...try again later...
and if your time seems to be slow or frequently
incorrect it may be time to replace the CMOS
battery.

How To Replace The
CMOS Battery In Your PC
http://tinyurl.com/12a2
or...
http://www.liverepair.com/encyclopedia/articles/cmosreplace.asp

How To Install A CMOS Battery
http://tinyurl.com/z3l7g
or...
http://www.smartcomputing.com/Editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2004/w1510/32w10/32w10.asp

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[Jud McCranie]

There is a pool of servers, to handle the load of all
those requests.

I tried one of those, and it gave me the same message "An error
occurred getting the status of the last synchronization. The RPC
server is unavailable."

Does that point to some problem on my end?

 

[Jud McCranie]

Could be net congestion...try again later...
and if your time seems to be slow or frequently
incorrect it may be time to replace the CMOS
battery.

I've tried many times, same result each time. The clock is working,
it is within 2 minutes of correct.

 

[Paul]

I tried one of those, and it gave me the same message "An error
occurred getting the status of the last synchronization. The RPC
server is unavailable."

Does that point to some problem on my end?

The last time I tried to debug a time problem, I got no where.
The w32time.log is filled with stuff I'm sure the developers
appreciate. But the log contents don't tell an end user
anything of interest. I think I added something to the
registry, to turn that on.

I can find instances of that RPC related error, but no quick and
easy solutions.

On my old Win2K machine, I think the "net time" command
is what I might have used. WinXP has w32tm for
such things, for manipulating the service.

If you enter "w32tm" in Help and Support, there is an
overview article. It gives the command syntax. There
is a /computer:Computername option, which implies
the command can even talk to other computers. This
could be the reason the command might use RPC
(remote procedure call). While I found one article
describing a "computer name mismatch" or a change in the
computer name, as a reason for an RPC to fail,
I don't know if something that obvious is at
work here. It could be one of those cases, that
the error message is a side effect of something
else (like a firewall problem).

Paul

 

[Ray Luca]

I've tried many times, same result each time. The clock is working,
it is within 2 minutes of correct.

Whatever the eventual fix will be (and I don't know what it will be)
it will NOT involve the CMOS battery. NOT THE CMOS battery.

Your problem is with Windows and/or the time server it is using.

 

[John Inzer]

Whatever the eventual fix will be (and I don't know what it will be)
it will NOT involve the CMOS battery. NOT THE CMOS battery.

Your problem is with Windows and/or the time server it is using.

=======================
Give us all a break please...

Of course failure to connect to the
server is not the CMOS battery but
inaccurate time could point to a weak
battery.

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[Ray Luca]

=======================
Give us all a break please...

Of course failure to connect to the
server is not the CMOS battery but
inaccurate time could point to a weak
battery.

You're dead wrong John, but don't feel badly: a polling of people in
groups like this would probably show that you're part of the majority
who think that.

That would ONLY be true if the time loss occurred during shutdown AND
if the computer was disconnected from its power source, forcing the
time to be maintained by the CMOS battery.

I saw no mention of that in the OP's post.

 

[Al Dykes]

There is a pool of servers, to handle the load of all
those requests.

http://www.pool.ntp.org/

There is a usage page here.

http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/use.html

How do I change the list of servers that I see in the pulldown list?

 

[Al Falfa]

If you click on the time, there is a tab "internet tab" with an
"update now" button. I have three time servers listed (two NIST and
time.windows.com) , but with each of them I get "server not available.
Are there some time servers which are available?

There is a pool of servers, to handle the load of all those requests.
http://www.pool.ntp.org/
There is a usage page here. http://www.pool.ntp.org/en/use.html

How do I change the list of servers that I see in the pulldown list?

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion
\DateTime\Servers

 

[Jud McCranie]

How do I change the list of servers that I see in the pulldown list?

You can simply type it in, and then "apply", I think.

 

[Jud McCranie]

That would ONLY be true if the time loss occurred during shutdown AND
if the computer was disconnected from its power source, forcing the
time to be maintained by the CMOS battery.

I saw no mention of that in the OP's post.

The computer is basically on all of the time and it is connected to a
UPS.

 

[Ray Luca]

The computer is basically on all of the time and it is connected to a
UPS.

Then it's NOT your CMOS battery. It's a Windows issue.

"MVP" status is not a guarantee that the info you will get from that
person is correct on all matters.

 

[Jud McCranie]

Then it's NOT your CMOS battery. It's a Windows issue.

It seems to be a firewall issue. I turned off AVG Firewall and the
time update works. I need the firewall on, so I need to see if I can
get AVG firewall to be OK with it.

 

[John Inzer]

Then it's NOT your CMOS battery. It's a Windows issue.

"MVP" status is not a guarantee that the info you will get from that
person is correct on all matters.

==================================
It's clear the the OP's issue was not the
battery but I still stand by the information.
Your attack of the MVP program may
cloud the water but does not change the
facts.

Maybe the following article will be worth
a look:

The system clock is losing time or not keeping time accurately
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/mbsys/cmosLosingTime-c.html

BTW...if you read my signature you will
realize that unlike some folks...I do not
think I know everything.

--


John Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[John Wunderlich]

It seems to be a firewall issue. I turned off AVG Firewall and the
time update works. I need the firewall on, so I need to see if I can
get AVG firewall to be OK with it.

NTP time synchronizes with TCP/UDP port 123.
Make sure your firewall will pass this port.
-- John

 

[Ray Luca]

==================================
It's clear the the OP's issue was not the
battery but I still stand by the information.
Your attack of the MVP program may
cloud the water but does not change the
facts.

Attack? Sensitive mofo, aren't you!? I stated a fact.

Maybe the following article will be worth
a look:

The system clock is losing time or not keeping time accurately
http://www.pcguide.com/ts/x/comp/mbsys/cmosLosingTime-c.html

An article from 2001??? Sorry. Not worth much today.

Besides, the OP has clearly stated that the system is usually on 24x7.
Note that in that ancient article you referred to (probably an AT
mobo), clearly states that the CMOS is involved when the computer is
"turned off".

When the system is running 24x7 and is losing time, it's a problem
synching with an online server.

BTW...if you read my signature you will
realize that unlike some folks...I do not
think I know everything.

I don't read sigs. They're usually worthless to anyone other than the
owner. They're the "vanity license plates" of the Internet.

 

[Jud McCranie]

NTP time synchronizes with TCP/UDP port 123.
Make sure your firewall will pass this port.

It is working now with time-b.nist.gov. I turned the firewall off, it
worked, turned the firewall back on and it still works.

 

[Ray Luca]

It is working now with time-b.nist.gov. I turned the firewall off, it
worked, turned the firewall back on and it still works.

And you didn't change the CMOS battery, right?