Recently a weird problem occurred with some Windows users. Windows system time was jumping backward on their Windows 11/10 machines. According to a recent post by a Reddit user, it happened with his Windows machine, and it used to show a time in the past. For example, if the current date and time are April 12, 2024 – 09:30 AM, it would show a time in the past (e.g. April 11, 2024 – 8:30 PM or so). This tutorial is on how to solve this problem.
Windows System Time jumps backward or forward
Before going forward with the solution, you should know what causes this issue. This issue occurs because of a problem with the new Secure Time Seeding feature that is part of the Windows Time service in Windows 11/10.
Secure Time gathers information from the registry – it collects time stamp data and matches them with the time. If anything goes wrong with the Secure Time functionality, your system may start showing the wrong date and time.
So even if you manually change the time and date, the computer will show a time in the past when restarted. This happens on Windows machines since the Secure Time functionality is turned on by default.
To solve this issue, you need to force Windows to synchronize time.
But before you begin, open Settings > Time & language > Date & time and check whether your time zone is correctly set or not. If it is, then proceed.
Next, disconnect from the Internet and then run the following command in an elevated CMD and see if it resolves the issue:
w32tm /resync
If it does not, then Microsoft suggests that you do the following.
Clear W32time registry values & force Windows to sync time over NTP
In an elevated Command Prompt windows, enter the following commands one by one, and hit Enter:
Net stop w32time
W32tm /unregister
W32tm /register
W32tm /start
W32tm /resync /force
The first command will stop the Time Service. The second command will unregister Time Service. The third command will re-register Time Service. The fourth command restarts the Time Service. The last command will for force Windows to synchronize time.
Reconnect to the Internet and see if it synchronizes correctly.
Disable Secure Time Seeding in Windows 11/10
If this does not help, you need to disable Secure Time Seeding. So create a system restore point first and then open Registry Editor.
Navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Services > w32time > Config
On your right-hand side, you will find a value called UtilizeSslTimeData. By default, it should be set to 1. You need to change the value to 0.
Instead of changing manually, you may run the following command:
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config /v UtilizeSslTimeData /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Now, restart your computer.
On restart, run the following commands in an elevated CMD:
Net start w32time
W32tm.exe /resync /force
Now you need to re-enable the Secure Time Seeding feature, To do this, run the following command at an elevated command prompt, and then restart the computer:
reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config /v UtilizeSslTimeData /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Restart your computer and see. Your problem should have been solved.
See this post if Windows Time Service is not working & Time Synchronization fails with an error, and this one if your Windows Clock Time is wrong.
Why does my computer clock keep jumping ahead?
Your computer clock may keep jumping ahead due to a depleted CMOS battery on the motherboard, which typically lasts 4-5 years. When it fails, the clock can reset and display incorrect times. To fix this issue, locate and replace the large button battery on the motherboard for accurate timekeeping.
Why does my system time keep changing?
Your Windows time may keep changing due to automatic syncing with an internet time server. This feature ensures accurate timekeeping but can alter your manually set time. To stop this, disable automatic time updates in your system settings. Additionally, check your CMOS battery, as a weak one could lead to frequent time resets.
