w32tm.exe not correcting time

[Moe]

Hello. I am running several Win2000 servers that are
stand alone (no AD) and I am trying to sync the clock with
an external NTP server. I don't want to run W32time as a
service; rather set the time using w32tm.exe utility
(executed once a day via the AT scheduler).

Here is the problem. If my clock is off by about 3
minutes, and I run "w32tm -once", it shows the time is off
but it DOES NOT correct the time. The eventviewer log
shows "Time service corrected the clock error by 173
seconds" or another number of seconds but the clock stays
the same. If I run it serveral times, I get several of
these entries in the log without any changes to the
clock. If the clock if off by 4 minutes or more, then it
seems to work just fine.

Well, a clock off my 3 minutes is not acceptable for a
time critical app I'm running. Any suggestions? I know I
can install free NTP clients but I would rather use
something that already comes with Windows.

TIA,

-Moe

 

[Kevin D. Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]]

In Moe <[email protected]>
posted their concerns,
Then Kevin D4Dad added his reply at the bottom.

Hello. I am running several Win2000 servers that are
stand alone (no AD) and I am trying to sync the clock with
an external NTP server. I don't want to run W32time as a
service; rather set the time using w32tm.exe utility
(executed once a day via the AT scheduler).

Here is the problem. If my clock is off by about 3
minutes, and I run "w32tm -once", it shows the time is off
but it DOES NOT correct the time. The eventviewer log
shows "Time service corrected the clock error by 173
seconds" or another number of seconds but the clock stays
the same. If I run it serveral times, I get several of
these entries in the log without any changes to the
clock. If the clock if off by 4 minutes or more, then it
seems to work just fine.

Well, a clock off my 3 minutes is not acceptable for a
time critical app I'm running. Any suggestions? I know I
can install free NTP clients but I would rather use
something that already comes with Windows.

TIA,

-Moe

NET TIME \\SERVER /SET /Y

Before I had a domain I put this command on a batch file and set task
scheduler to run it at Start up and user logon and at 7 am so the time was
set at least once a day this was in a home enviornment. so I never knew what
it's hours were going to be.
Just set task scheduler to run it with an Administrator username and
password.

 

[moe]

NET TIME \\SERVER /SET /Y
um, that only works with a windows time server. I'm
trying to sync with an NTP server.

-Moe