All my workstations have date/time difference, NET TIME not work 3

[DanielUK]

A couple of days ago all of my 12 WinXP Pro/Win2k clients started complaining of logging on to Local profiles as there was a time/date difference between them and the SBS 2003 server.

I have since logged in as an admin account on a handful of machines, executed the:

NET TIME /DOMAIN:domainname /set command

Firstly it shows the time of the SBS server as seemingly matching the workstation clock. However, I still say yes to set it. If I then try logging on as a user it complains again and loads only the local profile.

If I check the events of a workstation I see a number of

1058
1521

Where they both cite that there is a time and/or date difference between the client and server.

Not sure what to do now. I'm wondering why this happpened all at once (update maybe?) and if it could be related to our antivirus/firewall (network AVG). Not sure where to start so any help would be appreciated!

Thanks

Dan

 

[mofusjtf]

net time \\server_name /set /yes

is the correct command syntax for a batch file.

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks, tried that but doesn't remember on reboot and get same error message when trying to load profile.

Dan

 

[mofusjtf]

Put that command in a batch file and run it at log on each time. You can use standard AD login scripts or group policy.

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks,

I notice that each client does load a batch file at each logon (though never looked at it) which began when I installed the SBS box into our domain. I guess I could put it in there. I am a bit confused as to why this happened in the first place though after running fine for a good few months now??

Thanks

Dan

 

[mofusjtf]

Not sure either. But I do know that recently some of the more popular time servers were retired. You might also want to change the time server your server talks too.

Run this on the server from the command line or a batch file.

w32tm /config /manualpeerlistool.ntp.org,0x8 /syncfromflags:MANUAL
w32tm /config /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32tm /resync /nowait

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks mofusjtf, not had time to look at this properly (excuse the pun...)

What do the above commands actually do, I'm guessing they resynch the SBS box to a functioning time server?

After I do this do I then need to run the NET TIME command on all the workstations/servers in my domain or am I still looking at a batch file solution to this?

On that note I was looking at the batch file that all my clients appear to run when logging in since introducing the SBS box onto our network. FYI the SBS box was introduced as a swing migration into an exsiting win2k domain some months ago. The batch file is actually on the old DC \\OldDCSERVERNAME\Netlogon\SBS_LOGIN_SCRIPT.bat and contains:

\\SBSSERVERNAME\Clients\Setup\setup.exe /s SBSSERVERNAME

I presume that is telling the clients to use the SBS box for domain related matter. I was wondering if I should put the NET TIME command in this batch file or would it need to be separate?

Sorry about all the questions!

Dan

 

[mofusjtf]

It forces your server to sync time with this new addition of time servers pool.ntp.org. If I remember correctly, time.nist.gov and time.windows.com are no longer in service (don't quote me on that).

I use the same SBS login script and add any special commands I want such as drive mappings and the net time command. This way I have just one script for almost all my users. I do not believe the default script will force the workstations to sync time.

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks, looks like I'll have to read up on scripts.

One thing that makes me wonder is for example, the client workstation says 8:13 and the SBS box says 8:13 i.e. no difference. However, the client still complains of a time difference when trying to load a profile.

The old DC however, say's 8:03 so I'm wondering if that is the chief culrpit here and not the SBS box. The profiles are on the old DC FYI. What do you think?

With that in mind, should I be setting to the old DC's time to synch with the SBS box (tried doing that last week) or should I be getting it to synch with pool.ntp.org as the SBS is now doing?

Thanks

Dan

 

[1DMF]

we have in the windows/sysvol folder the default SBS script , with the following command for time syncing

NET TIME \\SERVERNAME /set /yes

This keeps all workstations inline with the server and the server runs w32time to the net.



"In complete darkness we are all the same, only our knowledge and wisdom separates us, don't let your eyes deceive you."

"If a shortcut was meant to be easy, it wouldn't be a shortcut, it would be the way!

 

[mofusjtf]

Yes, you definitely want your old DC to the SBS box to be on the same time. I would try setting the old DC to sync with the same outside server first and then, if necassary, run the net time command on the old DC to sync with the new.

This time difference will also cause an issue with AD replication.

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks guys, that would explain all those replication related Event IDs that I was getting! Will keep an eye on the old DC time, it's currently reading correctly.

Thanks again

Dan