Time synchronisation

[Guest]

When I try to synchronise the laptop time with time.windows.com I get the
following message:

"An error occured while windows was synchronising with time.windows.com. The
time sample was rejected because: The peer's stratum is less than the host's
stratum".

This happens with any internet time synchronisation provider.

What does ths mean? How can I fix it?

Many thanks.

Eddie

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Usually your time zone is wrong or your date is wrong. Also, if your computer's clock is far enough off, you can get this error.

I use time-a.nist.gov or time-b.nist.gov

 

[rod_speed]

Doug Knox MS-MVP wrote

Usually your time zone is wrong or your date is wrong.

Also, if your computer's clock is far enough off, you can get this

error.

Doesnt explain why two PCs started to
get the same errors at the same time.

I use time-a.nist.gov or time-b.nist.gov

Got an error with those too, on two different PCs.

I fixed it by using a time server in my time zone.

And I still get the same error you got when using
time.windows.com again, so it cant be what Doug suggested.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

I was getting the error on time.windows.com. The standad NIST server wouldn't even sync, which is why I went to time-a or time-b.

 

[Guest]

To (e-mail address removed)

Are you saying that your PC has just started showing same symptoms aswell?

My time and date were all ready accurate when I tried to synchronise so a
time large error before synchronisation is not the problem.

Thanks for replying, anyway.

Eddie Carrington
East Grinstead
England

 

[Kinell]

When I try to synchronise the laptop time with time.windows.com
I get the following message:

"An error occured while windows was synchronising with
time.windows.com. The time sample was rejected because: The
peer's stratum is less than the host's stratum".

I get the same error from time.windows.com but time.nist.gov works OK
for me. I'm in the same time zone as you BTW.

 

[frodo]

time.windows.com has been having difficulties this May, it's overloaded.

If you live on the east coast use time-a.nist.com, or time-b.nist.com;

moutain zone: time.nist.com.

there are others, see here:

http://tf.nist.gov/service/time-servers.html

you need to add these to the reg by hand, in this key:


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

each entry under that key is a number (from 1 to N), w/ the data being a
string w/ the server name. be sure the number of entries is complete, w/
no gaps, and the key's (default) entry should be the choosen guy's number.

here's a reg file for mine:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers]
@="2"
"1"="time.windows.com"
"2"="time-a.nist.gov"
"3"="time-b.nist.gov"
"4"="time.nist.gov"
"5"="clock.isc.org"
"6"="timekeeper.isi.edu"
"7"="usno.pa-x.dec.com"
"8"="tock.usno.navy.mil"
"9"="tick.usno.navy.mil"

 

[Guest]

Thank you - a useful answer. I'll try your suggestion.

I'll stop now - I'm too tired and irritated.

Now, when I manually update, I am now being told that my system date does
not agree and this is preventing updates. I have checked my date, altered it
in the bios and put it back in an attempt to reset it, and then got someone
else to check it in case I am staring at a glaring error and not seeing it.
It still doesn't work.

However, I then set the auto update interval to 120 seconds to run tests and
now the system confirms that it is updating and saying when the next update
is due but, despite this, the clock remains consistently one minute out. It
is not doing what it says it is doing.

I bet this is so simple to fix if you know how.

Thanks for your answer anyway.

Is it possible to reinstall the clock?

E.

 

[frodo]

the clock is part of the cmos memory chip on the motherboard, essentially
non-replacable (good w/ a soldering iron?), the driver is part of windows
itself. I guess it's in some dll somewhere, and you could check its
version info, and even re-register it, but I doubt that would change your
"issue".

If I remember correctly (occasionally true), the time synch routine tries
to determine your clock's drift rate, and sets the time to compensate for
minor drift errors, such that over time the sync error at each subsequent
sync reduces to near zero. Perhaps that's why it is setting your clock a
minute fast (or slow).

I wouldn't lose sleep over it...

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply - much appreciated. I just don't like the idea that
something isn't working properly and I can't fix it, no matter how
unimportant.