Microsoft:Time

In the documentation below, I have inserted the host north-america.pool.ntp.org as the NTP peer in the commands.

Configuring the Windows Time service on a standalone workstation

On a Microsoft Windows based workstation which is not a member of a domain:

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"time-a.nist.gov time-b.nist.gov north-america.pool.ntp.org" /syncfromflags:manual /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32tm /resync

When specifying multiple peers, use a space as the delimiter and enclose them in quotation marks.

Verifying changes using the Event Log

In the Windows System Event Log, you should see the following message after a successful sync:

Source: W32Time
EventID: 35
Description:
The time service is now synchronizing the system time with the time source
mypdc.mydomain.loc (ntp.d|10.10.20.154:123->192.168.1.10:123).

Configuring the Windows Time service on machines in an Active Directory domain

Configuring a time source for the forest

On the PDC emulator using external synchronization:

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"time-a.nist.gov time-b.nist.gov north-america.pool.ntp.org" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32tm /resync

On the PDC emulator using internal hardware clock:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /reliable:yes /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time

On the previous PDC emulator:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /reliable:no /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32tm /resync

On domain client workstations:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32tm /resync

Determining the shape of time syncing on your domain

Use the following command to see what time synchronization looks like between your domain controllers:

w32tm /monitor

This is what you will see on a domain with a single domain controller (which is your PDCe):

C:\>w32tm /monitor
MyPDC.MyDomain.local *** PDC *** [192.168.0.5]:
    ICMP: 0ms delay.
    NTP: +0.0000000s offset from MyPDC.MyDomain.local
        RefID: time-a.nist.gov [129.6.15.28]

This is what you will see in a domain with multiple domain controllers:

C:\>w32tm /monitor
server-1.MyDomain.local *** PDC *** [10.10.10.245]:
    ICMP: 0ms delay.
    NTP: +0.0000000s offset from server-1.MyDomain.local
        RefID: time-a.nist.gov [129.6.15.28]
server-2.MyDomain.local [10.10.10.242]:
    ICMP: 0ms delay.
    NTP: -0.0086221s offset from server-1.MyDomain.local
        RefID: server-1.MyDomain.local [10.10.10.245]
server-3.MyDomain.local [10.10.15.10]:
    ICMP: 6ms delay.
    NTP: -0.0046789s offset from server-1.MyDomain.local
        RefID: server-1.MyDomain.local [10.10.10.245]
server-4.MyDomain.local [10.10.14.245]:
    ICMP: 16ms delay.
    NTP: -0.0060164s offset from server-1.MyDomain.local
        RefID: server-1.MyDomain.local [10.10.10.245]
server-5.MyDomain.local [10.10.12.3]:
    ICMP: 36ms delay.
    NTP: -0.0377464s offset from server-1.MyDomain.local
        RefID: server-1.MyDomain.local [10.10.10.245]

The NTP line shows the time offset of each server as compared to the PDCe.

The RefID shows the current sync peer of each server.

In the above case, each domain controller is synching its time from the PDCe, and the PDCe is synching its time from an external NTP source.

Restoring the Windows Time service to default settings

net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time

Batch file to configure everything on your network with one script

Update the script with YOURPDCE hostname and save to a batch file.

@echo off

IF %COMPUTERNAME% EQU YOURPDCE GOTO setuppdce

:setupnonpdce
echo Setting up non PDCe system...

echo Resetting to defaults...
net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time

echo Configuring non PDCe system for domain sync...
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32tm /resync

goto end

:setuppdce
echo Setting up PDCe system...

echo Resetting to defaults...
net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time

echo Configuring PDCe for external NTP sync...
w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"time-a.nist.gov time-b.nist.gov north-america.pool.ntp.org" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time
w32time /resync

goto end

:end
pause

Batch file to configure a remote computer as a non-PDCe machine with domain sync

@echo off
IF %COMPUTERNAME% EQU YOURPDCE GOTO end

w32tm /config /computer:%1% /syncfromflags:domhier /update
w32tm /resync /computer:%1%

:end