XP Clock running slow

[John Smith]

Can anyone suggest why my XP Pro clock is not keeping
accurate time?
The BIOS clock didn't lose 1 sec in an hour of observation
yet when XP is running, It's clock has recently begun
noticably "losing time" as much as 10 minutes within an hour.
I can actually notice the second hand on the analogue clock
ticking longer seconds sporadically between every three and
ten seconds.
Checking msinfo32 shows I have no IRQ conflicts with the
System Timer nor the Real Time Clock.

 

[Guest]

Assistance from an MVP would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

Can anyone suggest why my XP Pro clock is not keeping
accurate time?
The BIOS clock didn't lose 1 sec in an hour of observation
yet when XP is running, It's clock has recently begun
noticably "losing time" as much as 10 minutes within an hour.
I can actually notice the second hand on the analogue clock
ticking longer seconds sporadically between every three and
ten seconds.

Try this:

Open a command prompt window (Start | Run | cmd) and enter the
following commands:

net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time

 

[HillBillyBuddhist]

Can anyone suggest why my XP Pro clock is not keeping
accurate time?
The BIOS clock didn't lose 1 sec in an hour of observation
yet when XP is running, It's clock has recently begun
noticably "losing time" as much as 10 minutes within an hour.
I can actually notice the second hand on the analogue clock
ticking longer seconds sporadically between every three and
ten seconds.
Checking msinfo32 shows I have no IRQ conflicts with the
System Timer nor the Real Time Clock.

If it's a Dell check their support site. There is a known issue.

--
D

I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
I was just trying to help.
Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or
advice herein.
No warranty is expressed or implied.
Your mileage may vary.
See store for details.

Remove shoes to E-mail.

 

[Alex Nichol]

Can anyone suggest why my XP Pro clock is not keeping
accurate time?
The BIOS clock didn't lose 1 sec in an hour of observation
yet when XP is running, It's clock has recently begun
noticably "losing time" as much as 10 minutes within an hour.

This problem seems to happen quite often, especially with Dell
machines. Usually a steady rate of loss like 10 minutes in an hour. It
appears to result from a conflict with the BIOS over the interval
between 'timer interrupts'. Windows maintains the clock by counting
these, so if the interval is not the expected one, the rate is grossly
out in this manner.

Try these steps:

1. Start->Run cmd.exe
2. net stop w32time
3. w32tm.exe /unregister
4. w32tm.exe /register
5. net start w32time

(note spellings w32tm and w32time in different commands)

 

[Guest]

I've tried the w32time /unregister & /register fix, it
didn't fix the problem.
I've removed all non-essential devices from my PC and
have re-installed XP with just the
MB/CPU/RAM/HDD/VGA/CDROM installed.
The clock STILL loses time even during the XP
installation at the screen where it asks you to select a
time zone.
I work in a IT workshop so am going to try swapping out
each essential component to see if I can diagnose this
one.
Just wanted to thank the two MVPs who posted trying to
help me and report that it didn't work.
Regarding that fix, I don't have a Dell PC, its a self-
build, AMD T'bird 1333/Asus A7V266-E/256 Crucial 266DDR
RAM/Hercules TI-500/WD800JB 8mb Cache HDD.

Will post any results I arrive at.

 

[Gary Drescher]

This problem seems to happen quite often, especially with Dell
machines. Usually a steady rate of loss like 10 minutes in an hour. It
appears to result from a conflict with the BIOS over the interval
between 'timer interrupts'. Windows maintains the clock by counting
these, so if the interval is not the expected one, the rate is grossly
out in this manner.

Try these steps:

1. Start->Run cmd.exe
2. net stop w32time
3. w32tm.exe /unregister
4. w32tm.exe /register
5. net start w32time

(note spellings w32tm and w32time in different commands)

My (home-built) PC suddenly developed this problem a few days ago,
losing a couple of seconds per hour, after keeping time properly for
the first several months of its existence. Your fix solved the
problem--thanks! I'm curious, though--what causes the problem to
occur, and how does restarting w32time fix it?

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Alex Nichol]

My (home-built) PC suddenly developed this problem a few days ago,
losing a couple of seconds per hour, after keeping time properly for
the first several months of its existence. Your fix solved the
problem--thanks! I'm curious, though--what causes the problem to
occur, and how does restarting w32time fix it?

How the system and the hardware get at cross purposes over the number of
microseconds between timer interrupts is a mystery. The fix
recalibrates the matter. Note that fine adjustments get made when you
synchronise trough Internet time - it may be that on some occasion the
sync failed to do this correctly, especially as the error was not *that*
large