How to Reset Network Time Synchronization in Windows 11 Date and Time Settings

Common Signs That Your Time Synchronization Is Broken

The clearest sign of a sync problem is a taskbar clock that does not match your phone or a wall clock. Even a few minutes of difference is enough to cause trouble.

The other common sign is a sudden security certificate error when you open a popular website. Secure sites depend on exact time matching. If your PC thinks it is in the past or the future, the browser treats the site’s certificate as expired or not yet valid and blocks the page. In Edge and Chrome, a message such as “Your clock is ahead” or “Your clock is behind” often appears.

Online games, chat apps and file-sharing tools can also misbehave. If your messages appear out of order, or a game disconnects with a server error, an inaccurate clock is often the hidden cause. Check the time before you spend hours reinstalling the app.

How to Check Your Current Date and Time Settings

Before you change anything, check how your PC is currently set up. The Time & language page shows whether Windows updates the clock automatically or is stuck on manual mode. Viewing this page changes nothing.

1. Click the Start button and select the Settings gear icon. You can also press the Win and I together. The Settings⚙️ app opens.
2. Click Time & language in the left-hand menu.

3. On the right side of the screen, click Date & time. The current time, the time zone and the sync options now appear.
4. Find the switch labeled Set time automatically. The path is Settings › Time & language › Date & time.

If the switch is off, your PC is not asking the internet for the time. Turn it on and check the clock again. If the switch is on but the clock is still wrong, the connection to the time server is stuck or failing, and the fixes below apply.

That’s it for the check. You should now know whether Windows is set to update the clock on its own.

How to Reset Network Time Synchronization in 🪟 Windows 11 Date And Time Settings

The quickest fix is the manual sync button on the Date & time page. It forces your PC to contact the internet time server and correct a drifting clock immediately. The steps are the same on Windows 11 Home and Pro.

One requirement first. Some of the fixes in this guide, such as restarting the Windows Time service, need an administrator account. On a managed PC, Sync now may also need elevated rights, so it can fail or stay greyed out for a standard user.

Follow these steps to sync your clock manually:

1. Open Settings⚙️ by clicking Start and choosing the gear icon, or by pressing the Win and I.

2. Click Time & language in the left sidebar.
3. Click Date & time on the main settings panel.
4. Scroll down to the Additional settings section. Expand it if it is collapsed.
5. Click the Sync now button. Windows contacts the time server and checks the correct time.
6. When it finishes, read the line under the button. It shows the last successful synchronization and the time server used. Then look at your taskbar🖥️ clock to confirm it changed to the right time.

That’s it. You should now have a clock that matches the internet time server.

If the button is greyed out or the sync does not complete, make sure Set time automatically is on. On a work PC joined to a domain, your organization’s servers manage the clock, so ask your IT team before changing anything.

What to Do If the Sync Now Button Fails

If Sync now fails, the usual causes are a missing internet connection or a time server that is not responding. If web browsing works normally but the clock still refuses to update, a temporary server glitch is the likely cause.

1. Open a web page in your browser to confirm you are online. Pages that load fine rule out a network problem.
2. If you use a VPN (a service that routes your traffic through another server) or a strict firewall, turn it off briefly. Some of them block the traffic that time sync uses. Take care with this step: turn the VPN or firewall back on right after the test, and never switch off Windows Defender Firewall on a public or untrusted network.
3. Click Sync now again in Settings › Time & language › Date & time. Then re-enable the VPN or firewall, whatever the result.
4. If the sync still fails, switch to a different time server using the Control Panel🎛️, as described next.

That’s it. You should now know whether your network, VPN or firewall was blocking the sync, and your protection is back on.

Changing Your Time Server Using the Control Panel

The Control Panel lets you pick a different time server, which helps when the Settings app cannot sync. You reach it by opening Control Panel, switching to icon view, and opening the Date and Time window.

1. Open the Start menu, type Control Panel🎛️, and select the app from the search🔍 results.

2. In the top right corner, change the View by option to Large icons or Small icons so every item is visible.
3. Click Date and Time. A small properties window opens.
4. Click the Internet Time tab at the top. If this tab is missing or says your PC syncs with a domain, a domain manages the PC and you cannot change the server here.
5. Click Change settings…. This step needs administrator rights. If a security prompt asks whether to allow changes, click Yes.
6. Make sure the box next to Synchronize with an Internet time server is checked.
7. Open the Server drop-down menu. The default server name is shown. Choose a different server from the list, such as an alternative time server provided with Windows.
8. Click Update now. A message should say the clock was successfully synchronized.
9. Click OK on each open window to save your changes.

That’s it. You should now have your PC syncing with the server you chose.

To undo the change, repeat these steps and select the original server (time.windows.com) again.

Restarting the Windows Time Service (Unique Expert Tip)

The Windows Time service is the background program that handles clock updates. If it freezes, automatic synchronization stops. Restarting it from the Services app clears temporary glitches. No full PC restart is needed, but you do need an administrator account.

1. Click Start, type Services in the search🔍 box, and click the Services app. If a window asks for permission, allow it to continue.
2. In the long list of services, scroll down until you find Windows Time.
3. Click Windows Time once to select it.
4. Right-click the service name and click Restart. You can also use the Restart link on the left side of the window, or click Stop and then Start. If Restart is greyed out, the service is already stopped, so use Start.
5. Close the Services window and return to Settings › Time & language › Date & time. Click Sync now again.

That’s it. You should now have a freshly restarted time service. Restarting makes Windows drop its temporary timekeeping state and start over, which clears many stubborn synchronization errors.

If the service keeps stopping, check its startup type. A disabled or manual service prevents syncing.

1. In the Services app, double-click Windows Time. The properties window opens on the General tab.
2. Open the Startup type drop-down menu and choose Automatic (Trigger Start) or Automatic.
3. Click Apply. If Service status shows Stopped, click Start.
4. Click OK, then run Sync now again from the Date & time page.

That’s it. You should now have a Windows Time service that starts on its own and can sync. To undo this, return to the same window and pick the earlier startup type.

For stubborn cases, you can reset the service from the command line. Windows Terminal is the current default way to run these commands, and Command Prompt works the same way.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). You can also open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Click Yes if the User Account Control prompt appears. An elevated window opens.
3. Type w32tm /unregister and press Enter. This removes the current Windows Time service registration.
4. Type w32tm /register and press Enter. This registers the service again with its default settings.
5. Type net start w32time and press Enter to start the service.
6. Type w32tm /resync and press Enter to force an immediate sync.

That’s it. You should now have a re-registered Windows Time service that has just asked the time server for the correct time. Check the taskbar clock to confirm.

Checking Your Time Zone Settings

A correct sync can still show the wrong local time if your time zone is wrong. Windows keeps the time itself accurate, but the time zone decides what hour you see. The fix takes a minute in Settings.

To check and fix your time zone:

1. Press the Win and I to open Settings⚙️.
2. Click Time & language on the left.
3. Click Date & time.
4. Find the Time zone option.
5. Open the drop-down menu and check that it matches your actual local area. If it is wrong, pick the correct one. The clock changes at once.
6. If you travel often, turn on the Set time zone automatically switch. Windows then works out your location and adjusts the time zone for you.

That’s it. You should now have the right time zone, so the hour on your taskbar matches where you are.

Handling Hardware Battery Issues

If your PC forgets the date and time every time you shut it down or unplug it, the problem is hardware, not software. It points to a dead CMOS battery, the small coin-shaped battery on the motherboard that stores system settings and keeps the internal clock running while the PC is off.

Once that battery runs out, the clock resets each time power is removed. On a desktop, replacing it is usually a short job. Power off, unplug the PC, open the case, and swap in a battery of the same type. A common size is the coin cell labeled CR2032.

Laptop batteries can be harder to reach and may sit under the keyboard or the bottom panel. If your computer is very old and keeps losing its time at startup, have a local computer repair technician check the motherboard battery.

Summary

Keeping your clock accurate comes down to a few quick checks. Use the manual Sync now button first. If that fails, change your time server, restart the Windows Time service, set its startup type to Automatic, and confirm your time zone.

For stubborn cases, re-register the service from an administrator terminal and run a resync. If the time still resets after a shutdown, replace the CMOS battery.