Client can't log in to computer - Time not synced with server

jpm224 · Mar 21, 2014

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums and IT in general so please bear with me while I try to explain the issue i'm having.

I have a client on my network who is unable to even log in to his PC as the computer's internal time is not syncing with our server. I am aware that this problem could be solved by having an administrator log in, however, this person is not a local admin on the computer in question and the person with our domain admin info is out of state/contact at the moment.

So my question is this: Is there a way to force the computer to sync its time with our server without logging in (i.e. BIOS or any other method)?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Snipergod87 · Mar 21, 2014

Your domain controller should be setting the time in Windows, but if the computer is losing the time configuration I would replace the CMOS battery on the motherboard, and reset that to the correct time too.

jpm224 · Mar 21, 2014

So far this is the first time the computer has lost the time configuration....I'd like to at least attempt to get it back in sync other ways before we jump to conclusions and replace anything.

Regarding what you said about the domain controller... do you mean setting the time on the main server? The rest of the computers on the network all have the correct time/date, it is just this one that fell out of sync for whatever reason.

Snipergod87 · Mar 21, 2014

Do you use active directory with managed user accounts? The server which contains that information is called a Domain controller which one of its features is a Windows time server, which sets the time on all computers on the domain. If you are not using a Domain controller or a domain than ignore that part. The computer itself without a domain will get its time from time.windows.com.

The CMOS battery shouldn't be more than a few dollars, and if this keeps on happening its entirely possible that is what has failed, the CMOS battery allows the BIOS to keep it's time settings. which are then used in Windows.

jpm224 · Mar 21, 2014

We do - our server/other users' date+time are fine, like I said before. Does a client computer on a network sync with the domain controller when the user logs in, or immediately on start-up? If it is the former, that is where we are having the problem as we are not even able to log a user in to the computer currently. If we were able to log in a simple command could force the sync with the domain controller.

Snipergod87 · Mar 21, 2014

There this tool I use for thinclients on our network to force sync the time on start up called CMDTIME. http://www.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Enhancements/Clocks-Time-Management/Cmdtime.shtml
Its CLI based, I have it run via task manager after login, but you can set it to run it at windows startup. I use the following arguments
cmdtime3.exe Domain ControllerIP 0.pool.ntp.org /M:999999999 Sync

Mine is set to get the time from the domain controller and an external source if the DC is unavailable, the /M specifies the maximum offset the time can be for it to sync in minutes (I used a big number to it will always sync no matter how far off the systems clock is). and the Sync forces it to update the computers clock. You should have that run as a local administrator on the machine in the task manager.

jpm224 · Mar 21, 2014

Thanks for all your help Snipergod, that little app looks like it might be exactly what we need.

So, based on what you said, I should be able to start the computer without an internet connection (so that we are able to log in despite the desync), set up CMDTIME to run with the proper domain/client info, and then restart with the internet reconnected?

Snipergod87 · Mar 21, 2014

You should be able to login with the time desyncronization especially as a local administrator. It doesn't matter if the network connection is connected or not. But you will need a network connection to have it sync the time when the system starts up after setting up the task.

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