Why Does Settings Time And Language Date And Time Keep Losing Sync

Basic Fixes: Checking Your Date and Time Settings

Before trying advanced troubleshooting steps, you should check your basic Windows settings ⚙️. Sometimes, a manual refresh or a quick settings adjustment is all it takes to get your clock back on track.

How to Force a Manual Time Sync

Forcing a manual time sync in Windows is the quickest way to fix a clock that keeps losing accurate time. You can do this by opening your Start menu ⊞, going to Settings, and selecting Time & language. From there, click on Date & time and click the sync button to force your computer to check the internet time server right away.

1. Click on the Windows Start button ⊞ and select the Settings ⚙️ app, which looks like a small gear icon.
2. In the Settings ⚙️ window, click on Time & language from the menu on the left side.
3. Click on Date & time from the options on the right.
4. Look for the button that says Sync now and click it.
5. Watch the screen to see if the time updates to the correct current time.

If the manual time sync succeeds, your computer successfully talks to the internet time server. If the manual time sync fails with an error message, the computer cannot reach the time server right now. You will look at how to fix the time server connection later in this guide.

Checking Your Time Zone Settings

Checking your time zone settings helps fix a clock that looks like it is wrong by several hours even when the computer is working properly. You can fix this by opening your Start menu ⊞, going to Settings, and selecting Time & language. Click on Date & time and make sure the switch for setting your time zone automatically is turned on.

1. Open the Settings app from your Start menu.

1. Click on Time & language and then select Date & time.
2. Look at the switch labeled Set time zone automatically. If it is turned off, click the switch to turn it on.
3. If you live in an area that observes daylight saving time, make sure the switch labeled Adjust for daylight saving time automatically is also turned on.
4. You can also look at the drop-down menu for Time zone to make sure Windows has chosen your correct local region. If it is wrong, select your correct time zone from the list.

Restarting the Windows Time Service

Restarting the Windows Time service fixes background program glitches that stop your computer clock from keeping the right time. When your clock keeps losing sync and manual updates fail, restarting this background helper gives your system a fresh start. You will need administrator privileges on your computer to complete these steps.

📝Note

The following steps require administrator privileges on your computer. If you are using a work computer or a shared family computer without admin rights, you may need to ask the person who manages the computer for help.

1. Click on the Windows Start button, type Services into the search bar, and click on the Services app that appears in the search results.

1. A new window will open with a long list of system items. Scroll down the list until you find the item named Windows Time.
2. Right-click on Windows Time and select Properties from the menu.
3. In the properties window, find the drop-down menu next to Startup type and change it to Automatic.
4. If the service status says "Stopped," click the Start button right below it. If it is already running, click the Stop button first, wait a few seconds, and then click the Start button to restart it.
5. Click the Apply button at the bottom of the window, and then click OK.

After restarting the Windows Time service, go back to your Date & Time settings and try clicking the Sync now button again to see if it works properly.

Fixing Internet Time Server Connection Problems

Fixing internet time server connection problems lets your computer reach out to a working public clock to keep your time accurate. If the default address your computer uses is busy or blocked, switching to a different time server will get your automatic updates working again. You will need administrator rights on your computer to change this setting.

1. Click on the Windows Start button, type Control Panel into the search bar, and open the Control Panel app.

1. In the top right corner of the Control Panel window, find the "View by" setting and change it to Large icons or Small icons so you can see all the options.
2. Click on the option labeled Date and Time.
3. A small window will pop up. Click on the tab at the top labeled Internet Time.
4. Click the button that says Change settings...
5. In the new window that appears, make sure the box next to Synchronize with an Internet time server is checked.
6. In the drop-down menu labeled Server, you will see a default address. Click that box and type in a reliable public time server address, such as time.google.com or pool.ntp.org.
7. Click the button that says Update now. If it says the synchronization was successful, click OK.
8. Click OK on the remaining windows to save your changes.

Advanced Troubleshooting: Resetting Windows Time Files

Resetting Windows time files clears out deeply corrupted background data and builds a brand-new time configuration from scratch. If your computer clock constantly loses sync and basic fixes do not work, resetting these core files fixes the broken setup. You need administrator rights to open the Command Prompt and run these reset commands.

Note: The following steps require administrator privileges on your computer.

1. Click on the Windows Start button, type Command Prompt into the search bar, right-click on Command Prompt in the results, and select Run as administrator.

A black window will open on your screen. This is the command line tool. Type the following command to stop the time service, and press the Enter key on your keyboard:

net stop w32time

Next, type this command to unregister the time service from the system, and press Enter:

w32tm /unregister

Now, type this command to register the time service back into the system fresh, and press Enter:

w32tm /register

Finally, type this command to start the time service again, and press Enter:

net start w32time

You can now close the black command window by clicking the "X" in the top right corner. Restart your computer normally to let the changes take full effect.

Summary

This guide explains why your Windows computer clock keeps losing accurate time and gives you simple steps to fix the problem. You learned how to force a manual time sync, check your time zone settings, restart the Windows time service, and change your internet time server address. We also covered advanced fixes like resetting system files and dealing with a dead CMOS battery.