For some time now, Windows has failed miserably to keep the time accurate on my main machine. After researching into NTP and ensuring UDP traffic to port 123 for svchost.exe was allowed through Sunbelt Personal Firewall a few years ago, I expected the problem to be solved.
However, this didn’t do the trick – Windows still managed to be ~2 minutes slow even after a successful update the prior day duing testing, which is completely unacceptable (its my main time source for catching the bus in the morning).
The lastest attack on this issue revolves around a recent discovery of Windows Time settings in Group Policy:
1. Run gpedit.msc (Group Policy Editing MMC snap-in).
2. Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Windows Time Service -> Time Providers:
Enable Windows NTP Client: Enabled.
Configure Windows NTP Client: Enabled.
Type: NTP (NT5DS means that the client attempts to synch with a Domain Controller’s time service, which doesn’t exist on my network).
Special Poll Interval (the setting to determine update frequency): 3600 (seconds, hourly).
EventLogFlags: 1 (log time jump changes – this should give me a proper audit record if the NTP client is doing its job).
See Windows Time Service Tools and Settings, search for Group Policy – provides some documentation on these settings and their associated registry keys.
After making the changes, the Internet Time tab of Date and Time Properties correctly acknowledged that time is synched hourly, so I have my hopes up (I think the default is weekly).
