There are a lot of apps and websites that can not be accessed without setting the correct time zone. Windows is well aware of this perk and has included an option to set the time zone automatically. However, according to some reports, the Set time zone automatically is greyed out on some Windows 11 and Windows 10 computers. In this post, we will talk about solutions for this error.
Can’t set time zone automatically in Windows 11/10
Why Is Set time zone automatically greyed out?
The Set time zone automatically is a feature that only the administrator can access. They can give permission to the users to access this feature. If not, the feature will be greyed out in the Settings app. So, the IT admin needs to enable the Set time zone automatically before deploying the device. However, this doesn’t mean that the user can not enable the feature. There are some ways that we are going to talk about by which you can turn on the feature even after the deployment of the devices.
Also, if you are not connected to a network, check if your Location is turned off. Most of us tend to stop apps and services from accessing Location. If that is the case, you need to turn on the Location on your computer. Some users, who were not a part of any network and had Location services turned on also reported this issue. We have some solutions that can help them too. So, without wasting any time, let us go to the troubleshooting guide.
Fix Set time zone automatically greyed out in Windows 11
If the Set time zone automatically is greyed out, follow the prescribed suggestions and solutions to resolve the issue.
- Enable Location Services from Settings
- Using Registry Editor
- Using Group Policy
- Troubleshoot in Clean Boot
- Repair Windows Files
You may need to have administrative privileges to carry out some of the suggestions.
1] Enable Location Services from Settings
First of all, we should make sure that the Location services are not disabled on your computer. This is important as in order for Windows to set a time zone automatically, it needs to have an idea of your location. If the service itself is disabled and your location can not be fetched, there is a possibility that Windows will not allow you to enable the Set time zone automatically feature. So, follow the prescribed steps to enable Location Services on your Windows 11 computer.
- Launch Settings by Win + I.
- Click on the Privacy & Security tab.
- Scroll down to App permissions and click on Location.
- Enable the Location services and Let apps access your location options.
Now, reboot your computer and check if you are allowed to set the time zone automatically.
2] Use Registry Editor
If you are unable to turn on the automatic time zone feature from Windows Settings, try doing the same from Registry Editor. This may not be a solution but a workaround that can try if the IT admin has deployed the devices before enabling these features. To do the same, launch Registry Editor. You can do that either by searching the app out from the Start Menu or by launching Run, typing “Regedit” and clicking Ok. Then navigate to the following location.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\tzautoupdate
Look for the value Start, double-click on it, and set its Value data to 3 to enable the Set time zone automatically and 4 to disable the same. You should also enable the Location feature, if it is greyed out too, go to the following location in Registry Editor.
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\CapabilityAccessManager\ConsentStore\location
Double-click on Value, type “Allow” and click Ok. Hopefully, this will do the trick for you.
3] Using Group Policy
Open Group Policy Editor and navigate to the following setting:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Location and Sensors > Windows Location Provider > Turn off Windows Location Provider.
Set the value of the Turn off Windows Location Provider setting to Not Configured.
Click Apply and exit.
4] Troubleshoot in Clean Boot
There can be third-party software installed on your computer that has disabled the feature in question. Since we have no clue what this app is, we need to perform Clean Boot, which will disable all the non-Microsoft services, and then see if the option is still greyed out. In case, the option is not greyed out, then some third-party app is interfering and you will have to identify and disable it.
To perform Clean Boot, follow the prescribed steps.
- Type “MSConfig” in the Search bar and hit Enter.
- Go to Services.
- Tick the box associated with Hide all Microsoft Services and click on the Disable all button.
- Click Apply > Ok and restart your computer.
This will launch your system in the Clean Boot state, check if the Set time zone automatically is still greyed out. If not, then you need to enable processes manually till you stumble upon the culprit. Once you know the culprit, remove it from your system and your issue will be resolved.
5] Repair Windows Files
Next up, let us try to repair your system files using some commands. We will be running some cmd commands that will scan and repair your system files. To do the same, first pull out Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Then run the following commands.
SFC /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /CheckHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /ScanHealth DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
These commands may take some time to complete their respective tasks. Once it’s done, go to Settings and see if the issue is resolved.
We hope that you can resolve the issue using the solutions mentioned in this article.
Also Read: Adjust for daylight saving time automatically is grayed out in Windows
How do I set Date and time automatically in Windows 11?
When you set the Timezone, your date and time get set automatically as Windows looks at your timezone and fetch the related information using it as a reference. Although you can change the date and time manually, there is no need for you to do the same as the timezone that gets set automatically will always be accurate. To enable the automatic selection of timezone, follow the prescribed steps.
- Open Settings.
- Go to Time & Language > Date & time.
- Turn the toggle on for Set time automatically and Set timezone automatically.
Turn off the Settings and see if the issue is resolved.
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