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Microsoft time service quick information.
Reference Microsoft KB:
A List of the Simple Network Time Protocol Time Servers That Are Available on the Internet
quick list
tock.usno.navy.mil
tick.usno.navy.mil
ntp2.usno.navy.mil
Near Wisconsin:
tick.wustl.edu (Missouri)
Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 Command to set a SNTP server:
net time /setsntp:tock.usno.navy.mil
Windows 2000 Server Domain Controller requires w32time server service to be stopped to syncronize:
net stop w32time
w32tm –once -v
net start w32time
Windows 2003 Command:
w32tm /resync
Time service logging, change logging level to Debug Logging Level
Windows 2000, ref KB:
Configuring the Time Service to Log When the Time Is Changed
Registry Quick-Add,
use at your own risk!
Windows 2003, ref KB:
HOW TO: Turn On Debug Logging in the Windows Time Service
Registry Quick-Add,
use at your own risk!
(default time server: time.windows.com,0x1)
Troubleshooting Event ID: 12, Source: W32Time
Description: 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.
You would think a fresh Windows Server 2003/2003R2/2003SBS wouldn't generate this error. We have done a
couple dozen Server 2003 installs, and it seems every server has this error event.
Resolving this issue turned into a time consuming hassle on my in-house Windows Server 2003R2, so maybe I
can save you some time by detailing my adventure.
A check of the current setting:
C:\>net time /querysntp
The current SNTP value is: time.windows.com,0x1
The command completed successfully.
Okay, the default Microsoft value is there, (but the help for NET TIME does not indicate
what the ,0x1 parameter is doing). So let's manually kick a time sync:
C:\>w32tm /resync
Sending resync command to local computer...
The computer did not resync because no time data was available.
Okay, the default Microsoft value doesn't work. A Google search yielded a
forum
article, with an answer from a (supposed) Microsoft SBS Team member that seemed to indicate I
needed to dump that ',0x1' parameter, so I gave it a try (and then restarted the w32Time Server service):
C:\>net time /setsntp:time.windows.com
The command completed successfully.
C:\>net stop w32time
The Windows Time service is stopping.
The Windows Time service was stopped successfully.
C:\>net start w32time
The Windows Time service is starting.
The Windows Time service was started successfully.
So let's again manually kick a time sync:
C:\>w32tm /resync
Sending resync command to local computer...
The command completed successfully.
And a review of the current setting now shows the ',0x1' gone:
C:\>net time /querysntp
The current SNTP value is: time.windows.com
The command completed successfully.
However!, I checked the System log on the server about a half hour later, and I now had several
W32Time Error events with Event ID: 29.
The time provider NtpClient is configured to acquire time from one or more time sources, however none of
the sources are currently accessible. No attempt to contact a source will be made for 1 minutes. NtpClient
has no source of accurate time.
There was an associated W32Time Information event with Event ID: 37.
The time provider NtpClient is currently receiving valid time data from time.windows.com
(ntp.m|0x0|192.168.60.204:123->207.46.130.100:123).
What was odd here is that the 192.168.60.xxx address referenced was associated with one of the demand-dial
connections I have setup under RRAS. So does that mean that w32tm is now trying to sync the time from
each of the 12 or so IP's on this server? Sure enough! There were 11 sets of additional Event ID 29 Errors
and corresponding Event ID 37 Information events for EACH of the RRAS IP addresses on this
server. The set of event messages with the LAN adapter succeeded.
Perhaps I diagnosed the context wrong, but there is no doubt that my dropping the ',0x1' changed the
behaviour of
Reference to unload performance counters.
Reference Microsoft KB:
Event ID 2003 Warning Message Logged When Loading Performance Counters
examples:
unlodctr w3svc
unlodctr msftpsvc
unlodctr inetinfo
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