TIME ????

  • Thread starter Thread starter Charlie
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Charlie

Bob said:
Hello everyone,
Does the time showing on the computer in the lower right hand corner run
from the OS program or from the motherboard?
Could the battery on the motherboard be failing? The clock keeps loseing
time. It was showing 4:45 at 7:45 tonight. It's a new motherboard and
running XP Pro SP2.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
Click to expand...
When you say it keeps loosing time have you tried reseting the clock?
Right click over the time and select Adjust Date/Time.

Batteries are usually good for 4/5 years but batteries, like anything
else, can be faulty so you could well have a duff battery.

Charlie.
 
You said it is a new motherboard. I would go to the MB manufacturer's site
and see if there are any updates or FAQs in reference to the clock.

Does it lose time when left on all the time?
 
The time is maintained by the OS. If you right-click the tool bar, select
Adjust date/time, there should be a tab/option for internet time. If
checked, the time is kept current automatically. There is also a
tab/setting for time zone. Being that the hour portion of your time is
incorrect, make sure that the correct time zone is specified.
 
Bob;
If you reboot is the time then correct?
If not it is most likely a battery.
If the time is correct after a reboot something other than the
battery, possibly an application is the cause.
 
Hello everyone,
Does the time showing on the computer in the lower right hand corner run
from the OS program or from the motherboard?
Could the battery on the motherboard be failing? The clock keeps loseing
time. It was showing 4:45 at 7:45 tonight. It's a new motherboard and
running XP Pro SP2.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
 
Not exactly. There is a BIOS clock (sometimes known as the hardware
clock) and there is a software clock. On booting the software clock
sets itself according to the hardware clock. Any times that the
software clock uses are *relative* to the hardware clock. If the
hardware clock drifts the software clock will follow, as the dsoftware
clock periodically checks the hardware clock. The software clock can
set the hardware clock.

Cheers,

Cliff
 
Bob said:
Hello everyone,
Does the time showing on the computer in the lower right hand corner run
from the OS program or from the motherboard?
Could the battery on the motherboard be failing? The clock keeps loseing
time. It was showing 4:45 at 7:45 tonight. It's a new motherboard and
running XP Pro SP2.
Thanks in advance.
Bob
Click to expand...

Windows merely sets or accesses and interprets the current time, it does not
keep time. It's probably an electronic problem on the motherboard cuased by
the onboard crystal controlled (usually at, or at some multiple of, 60
cycles per second) oscillator not oscillating at the correct frequency (i.e.
too slowly in your case) or a defect in the timeclock chip or its associated
circuitry. Many oscillators run at 3.58mHz (same as a TV color oscillator
crystal!) You can verify this is a hardware problem by booting into the
BIOS, setting the time and date accurately, leaving it in BIOS for many
hours and then checking the time -- in your case you should find that it has
lost time even though Windows was not booted.

I've seen very few that really keep accurate time, but yours is way out of
manufactures specifications. Most will loose, but most usually gain a slight
amount of time over a day or so. You can use a utility to keep the clock
set:
http://www.arachnoid.com/abouttime/

Note that XP has a "service" (Windows Time) that can be turned on, if it's
off, via right-clicking My Computer, choosing Manage, then Services and
Applications, then Services, and then right-click Windows Time in the right
side pane of the window and make sure the Properties indicate that it is set
to Automatic. If you use a firewall then any time setting service or utility
needs to allow usage of port 123 for both TCP and UDP protocols. If using
the Windows Time service and port 123 can not be used then you will probably
see occasional complaints in the XP Event Viewer.
 
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