W32Time Service Warnings

[francis gérard]

has anyone else noticed that the W32Time sync service will often fail to
automatically synchronize with the NTP server, and generate an error (see
below), even though the service itself is correctly configured, yet a manual
sync, (Update Now button, Internet Time tab of the Date and Time Properties
applet) will always successfully update the time? i've noticed this problem
in SP1 and SP2. it's not a serious issue, but i'd be interested to hear if
others have seen the W32Time warning showing-up in their System Event logs.
--
francis

--- W32Time System Event Warning ---
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W32Time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Date: 2004-08-28
Time: 04:36:12
User: N/A
Computer: NAME
Description:
The time service has not been able to synchronize the system time for 49152
seconds because none of the time providers has been able to provide a usable
time stamp. The system clock is unsynchronized.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
---

 

[V Green]

has anyone else noticed that the W32Time sync service will often fail to
automatically synchronize with the NTP server, and generate an error (see
below), even though the service itself is correctly configured, yet a manual
sync, (Update Now button, Internet Time tab of the Date and Time Properties
applet) will always successfully update the time? i've noticed this problem
in SP1 and SP2. it's not a serious issue, but i'd be interested to hear if
others have seen the W32Time warning showing-up in their System Event logs.
--
francis

--- W32Time System Event Warning ---
Event Type: Warning
Event Source: W32Time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 36
Date: 2004-08-28
Time: 04:36:12
User: N/A
Computer: NAME
Description:
The time service has not been able to synchronize the system time for 49152
seconds because none of the time providers has been able to provide a usable
time stamp. The system clock is unsynchronized.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Same here, I turned it off ages ago and use
Atomic Clock Sync to do the same job (Google
for it).

Just another botched MS service.

 

[francis gérard]

Same here, I turned it off ages ago and use
Atomic Clock Sync to do the same job (Google
for it).

yes, there is that option, and in the past, with Win2k, i used the famous D4
(now v5) time sycn utility http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/

but the advantage to using the Win32Time service is that it not only
synchronizes the clock, but also corrects for drift, so over a period of
days and weeks, your computer's clock will eventually become more accurate
on its own.

most of the 3rd party sync utilities don't do drift correction, they simply
sync the clock and terminate. it's obviously better to have windows adjust
the clock frequency and correct for drift so that eventually the clock will
run accurately, with or without access to an NTP server.

Just another botched MS service.

my sentiments exactly, but the W32Time service does a good job of
maintaining accurate time and correcting the clock frequency... when it
works, that is.

btw, the default polling interval the W32Time service uses to connect to an
NTP server is 7 days (604800 seconds), but that can easily be changed. for
example, i changed mine to synchronize every 3 days (259200 seconds) via the
following registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollInterval

(change Base notation to Decimal before entering the new value in seconds)

after restarting the time service, the Internet Time tab will also be
automatically updated to reflect the change

 

[francis gérard]

oh btw, i should mention, if anyone downloads/installs Dimension 4 (D4) time
sync utility, be aware that it will disable the W32Time service, and if you
attempt to use the native Windows time sync, via the Update Now button on
Internet Time tab, the system will generate an RPC error, because D4
disables the remote procedure call linkages to the W32Time service.
uninstalling D4 reverses that, and W32Time will function normally.

if W32Time service stops working correctly, it can be fixed and reset to
default values by entering the following commands (in the order shown):

C:\NET STOP W32TIME

C:\W32TM /UNREGISTER

C:\W32TM /REGISTER

C:\W32TM /REDISCOVER

C:\NET START W32TIME

C:\W32TM /CONFIG /UPDATE

 

[V Green]

yes, there is that option, and in the past, with Win2k, i used the famous D4
(now v5) time sycn utility http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/

but the advantage to using the Win32Time service is that it not only
synchronizes the clock, but also corrects for drift, so over a period of
days and weeks, your computer's clock will eventually become more accurate
on its own.

Interesting.

Does it allow for multiple shutdowns/restarts (i.e. it realizes
what the time was at last shutdown, compares it to time at
current startup, and adjusts accordingly)?

most of the 3rd party sync utilities don't do drift correction, they simply
sync the clock and terminate. it's obviously better to have windows adjust
the clock frequency and correct for drift so that eventually the clock will
run accurately, with or without access to an NTP server.


my sentiments exactly, but the W32Time service does a good job of
maintaining accurate time and correcting the clock frequency... when it
works, that is.

btw, the default polling interval the W32Time service uses to connect to an
NTP server is 7 days (604800 seconds), but that can easily be changed. for
example, i changed mine to synchronize every 3 days (259200 seconds) via the
following registry key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\Speci
alPollInterval

(change Base notation to Decimal before entering the new value in seconds)

after restarting the time service, the Internet Time tab will also be
automatically updated to reflect the change

Good info.

BTW, my install of Atomic Clock Sync runs on my
dedicated proxy server/firewall/print server macnine and I sync
to it with a NET TIME \\proxyserver /yes with a startup
script when XP loads.

That way, all the network worksta. are within a few sec. of each
other, even if they're all slightly wrong ;-)

 

[SlowJet]

Hi Francis,

Yes, I have that problem and have wondered why it
stoped working.
It does sync in the day time (sometimes) but not night
time. If I use the clock update in the daytime, then it
works a few times, but once it fails, that's it.

???

Are you syaing I should enter those commands or only if
wintime is broke (like in file broke) or just not working?

SJ

P. S. I use different time servers on the 3 macines and
that doesn't seem to make any diffence.

So, what time is it? lol

 

[francis gérard]

Interesting.

Does it allow for multiple shutdowns/restarts (i.e. it realizes
what the time was at last shutdown, compares it to time at
current startup, and adjusts accordingly)?

afaik, the hardware clock is left on its own when Windows is not running, so
it will drift at its normal (hardware related) rate, but while Windows is
running, the phase and rate correction will be applied, so the longer the
W32Time service (and Windows) is running, theoretically speaking, the more
accurate the system clock will become over a period of weeks. note,
manually synchronizing the clock via W32Time repeatedly in a short period of
time will *not* make the clock more accurate, the clock's drift is dependent
on many variables (hardware and software), and every computer system will be
different, so for W32Time to properly calculate for drift, it needs to take
many samples over a long period, and it eventually gets the correction
perfect (for that particular system).

Good info.

BTW, my install of Atomic Clock Sync runs on my
dedicated proxy server/firewall/print server macnine and I sync
to it with a NET TIME \\proxyserver /yes with a startup
script when XP loads.

yeah, that makes good sense, instead of every computer on your network
hogging a public NTP server

btw, it's possible to configure the XP time service to also act as an NTP
server, for those who have multiple Windows systems on a home network, is
that what you've done, or is your proxy server a non-XP box?

That way, all the network worksta. are within a few sec. of each
other, even if they're all slightly wrong ;-)

if the W32Time service is running on each of them (assuming NT5.x), then
eventually they should all be accurate, but a few seconds apart is OK.

 

[francis gérard]

Hi Francis,

Yes, I have that problem and have wondered why it
stoped working.
It does sync in the day time (sometimes) but not night
time. If I use the clock update in the daytime, then it
works a few times, but once it fails, that's it.

interesting... i've noticed that the W32Time service fails mostly at "night"
too

Are you syaing I should enter those commands or only if
wintime is broke (like in file broke) or just not working?

NO, you don't need to run those commands i posted, although doing so would
do no harm, you'd simply reset the W32Time service to default values. the
commands are only necessary if you've somehow managed to screw-up the
W32Time service. those commands should make it work properly again.

SJ

P. S. I use different time servers on the 3 macines and
that doesn't seem to make any diffence.

right, the problem seems to have nothing to do with with the NTP server
being used.

So, what time is it? lol

21:05:00 EST... and counting

 

[SlowJet]

Thanks,

As he schrooled off into the setting sun.

SJ

Tooooomorow,
tomoroow,
there will always be tomorrow,
commmmmmmmme what may.

 

[Sooner Al]

Which time server are you pointing to? Perhaps picking a different server may solve this issue...

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Alex Nichol]

has anyone else noticed that the W32Time sync service will often fail to
automatically synchronize with the NTP server, and generate an error (see
below), even though the service itself is correctly configured, yet a manual
sync,

Which Time server are you using? I have little faith in the
windows.time one, but the US government ones have always behaved for me.
I use time-a.nist.gov , and there are others there (Boulder CO); or the
Navy has one, tock.usno.navy.mil which IIRC is in Maryland

Things do depend on the quality of connection to the server - you need a
consistent ping time before it can work properly

 

[francis gérard]

Which time server are you pointing to? Perhaps picking a different server
may solve this issue...

as has been stated, the time source does not appear to be the issue, the
same behaviour occurs with any NTP server, a manual update is always
successful, but the automatic update will frequently fail (not always) and
generate a W32Time warning in the system event log (refer to source
article).

 

[francis gérard]

francis gérard wrote:

Which Time server are you using? I have little faith in the
windows.time one, but the US government ones have always behaved for me.
I use time-a.nist.gov , and there are others there (Boulder CO); or the
Navy has one, tock.usno.navy.mil which IIRC is in Maryland

as was mentioned elsewhere in the discussion, the same behaviour occurs with
all ntp servers, it doesn't matter which one is selected, a manual update
will always complete successfully, but the automatic updates will frequently
(not always) fail.

come to think of it, the problem seems to have begun after changing the ntp
server from the default time.windows.com to time.nist.gov, but changing the
server back to the default has made no difference, automatic time sync will
frequently fail, with any ntp server that's specified in the server listbox.
the manual update does work fine, however.

this doesn't seem to be machine specific, i've seen the same thing happen on
other systems, both XP SP1 and SP2.

Things do depend on the quality of connection to the server - you need a
consistent ping time before it can work properly

true, it's best to choose an ntp server within close proximity (the fewest
number of hops), which usually means geographically, but not always, largely
depends on your ISPs network. also, the ntp spec includes a built-in
compensation algorithm which corrects for delay by performing a statistical
analysis on the packets traversing b/w ntp client and server.

incidentally, many NTP servers will reject ICMP ping requests, for obvious
reasons (DoS attacks), so it may not helpful to ping an NTP server to
determine the quality of the connection. time.windows.com (microsoft) is
one such server that does not respond to pings

btw, for the propellor-heads among us, here is some interesting reference
material on computer clocks and ntp:

http://www.ntp.org/ntpfaq/NTP-a-faq.htm

http://www.ntp.org/ntpfaq/NTP-s-algo.htm

http://www.ntp.org/ntpfaq/NTP-s-trouble.htm#S-TRBL-SPEC-WINNT

http://www.ntp.org/ntpfaq/NTP-s-sw-clocks.htm#S-SW-CLOCKS-QUALITY

http://www.boulder.nist.gov/timefreq/service/pdf/win2000xp.pdf