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Thread: Can't Synch Computer Clocks

  1. #1

    Question Can't Synch Computer Clocks

    I'm having a problem with our net time service on our W2k network.

    Two servers of importance here. One old DC now used as a backup, named BAKSERV2. One new DC used as PDC, DOMCON.

    Currently, all computers have their net time service synced with BAKSERV2. We want to change them to DOMCON.

    So, I did the following:

    net time \\DOMCON /set (says it was done successfully after prompting for confirmation)
    net stop w32time
    w32tm –once
    net start w32time

    However, once I run net time, I still get this:

    net time Current time at \\BAKSERV2 is 9/20/2004 10:48 AM
    I can't get the darn thing to change! Any sugestions?

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
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    1,130
    Angelic
    take a look at this white paper:
    http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000...intimeserv.doc

    as far i know, since DOMCOM is the PDC (on the root domain) all computers will be sync with it soon or later.

    the message you ve post usually shows that the stations ins syncing time with the nearest server, but that server will sync with pdc at the end. Above doc explains default hiearchy
    Meu sítio

    FORMAT C: Yes ...Yes??? ...Nooooo!!! ^C ^C ^C ^C ^C
    If I die before I sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to encrypt.
    If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to brake.

  3. #3
    I think that worked.

    I pointed DOMCON to a Navy atomic clock, double-checked settings in both Windows Time Service and the registry settings for the time service. Then, using "net time /setsntp:DOMCON", I set the others to now point to DOMCON as they should....looks to be working so far.

    But there's something wierd. If I run a simple "net time" command with no other arguments, it tells me "the time at //BAKSERV2 is" such-and-such, no matter what computer I'm on. Why is that? Now if I run a "net time /querysntp" it shows DOMCON as the time server as it should be, so I presume all is well, but the BAKSERV2 reference with the other command doesn't make sense to me. Why would it do that? Should it not report the time on DOMCON instead?

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Posts
    1,130
    no, they follow an hierarchy on AD domains. On that link you can a pyramid. All windows will follow the hierarchy. Imagine if a network of 100,000 windows try to sync with PDC root. A nightmare. So, its a distribute enviroment, using pdc on root domain as the primary one. Root PDC should be the only computer sync with trustworthy clock (like the Navy clock u have used).

    You can force, but they will return to normal hierachy when some "timeouts" happens.

    You cant see more than 2 sec of diference between root pdc and the farest pc on network, its good enough
    Meu sítio

    FORMAT C: Yes ...Yes??? ...Nooooo!!! ^C ^C ^C ^C ^C
    If I die before I sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to encrypt.
    If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to brake.

  5. #5
    Well, dang it, thought it was fixed, but I'm comparing clocks this afternoon, and this just doesn't make sense:

    I have two computers on my desk here. Both were pointed to the same time server using the command "net time /setsntp:<server>" and then stopping and restarting the time service. That time server is a Navy atomic clock (192.5.41.209). When I did this yesterday, they both synced without a hitch.

    This afternoon, however, I'm looking at both screens simultaneously...One says 5:20, the other 5:21. I run a "net time /querysntp" on both machines, and they're both still pointing to the same time server.

    So why is one lagging one minute behind the other, and what could have caused that since they were in perfect sync yesterday? Neither machine has been shutdown since yesterday either.

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