Lost Time service in Server 2003

[Tearose]

The initial problem was that the new server in our office was trying to sync time with the server in our other office, which doesn't keep time very well.

My efforts to fix the problem resulted in the time service disappearing from bith the services and the registry. I tried clicking on w32tm.exe, but something popped up in a command window, and went by in a split second and closed the window, so I couldn't read what it said.

In any case, it didn't put the service back. How do I get the time service back, and how do I configure it not to sync with the other server?

 

[ITAAGuyOR]

If your server is a member of a domain, then the server will automatically get its time from the AD forest PDC Emulator(if the server in question belongs to a root domain), or it will get its time from the PDC Emulator for the child domain (these are automatically configured by Active Directory). If this is a stand alone server, you can force it to use an external time server by following these instructions from Microsoft (

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816042)

 

[Tearose]

As I've said, w43time is no longer in the registry, and that's where the file you list says to go. I need to know how to get it back in there before I can change it's settings. If I restart the server, will it come back?

 

[ITAAGuyOR]

If you would like, I can send you the registry key that you can import into your server that will reset the W32time key with all the right settings. Now keep in mind that this key comes from a Server 2003 system. Just give me an email address and I will send it to you.

 

[Tearose]

I got the service back on (found instructions on Windows website and they worked), but haven't looked in the registry. What I need to have it do, is not try to sync with another server on the domain. When I tried to fix this the first time,
I followed the instructions from Microsoft, changing the registry keys it said to, then got to the instruction for one that wasn't there, and didn't know what to do. In Services, it lists it as a Local Service, but on Microsoft it says the default setting is Local System. It was after I tried to change that, that the time service disappeared altogether. If your registry key is what's needed to make it not sync with the other server that would be great. (Um..this time I'll back up the registry before I change it...)
jperry@cccil.org

 

[Tearose]

UPDATE. Now the service has had time to put an entry into Event Viewer. It's no longer trying to sync with the other server. Here's the message:

Time Provider NtpClient: This machine is configured to use the domain hierarchy to determine its time source, but it is the PDC emulator for the domain at the root of the forest, so there is no machine above it in the domain hierarchy to use as a time source. It is recommended that you either configure a reliable time service in the root domain, or manually configure the PDC to synchronize with an external time source. Otherwise, this machine will function as the authoritative time source in the domain hierarchy. If an external time source is not configured or used for this computer, you may choose to disable the NtpClient.

So should I do anything? Should I disable the NtpClient? Is there an external time source I should sync with? And for either of these options, how would I do it?

 

[karmic]

I usually wouldn't synch up with anything on the outside of the network, but that's just me...

If the clock on the server is good, I usually add a line to the logon script for the admin and all users.

net time \\servername /set /y

If i'm wrong, someone please tell me...

~ K.I.S.S - Don't make it any more complex than it has to be ~

 

[Tearose]

I was thinking that would be the thing to do, but I haven't set up a new server before, so I didn't know what it's supposed to be set to do. Thanks for confirming my guess.

 

[CallwaveEmp]

Disregard the net time suggestion - we used to do that before A.D.
All computers on your network should attempt to connect to the PDC eumulator for their time. The PDC emulator of a subdomain will try to synchronize with its parent's PDC emulator. (this is a small oversimplification)
On your pdc emulator, synchonize with an external source (time.windows.com?). Use the /manualpeerlist param of w32tm.
On the clients, you can use the /syncfromflags:domhier to make sure they know they should be looking for the pdc emulator. Use the /resync /rediscover to tell clients to try again.
Occasionally, I have had to uninstall and reinstall the time service, also from w32tm.
If it is all correctly configured, it just works.
D

 

[Tearose]

Do I really have to do anything to the clients? Won't they automatically get time from the server?