windows clock

Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

Does it reset to correct time when you restart? If not, your motherboard
battery is going dead. If the clock resets to correct time when you
restart, it's a known problem caused by any number of programs. The
technical explanation is a bit involved, but the only solutions are to
1. Determine which program(s) cause the problem and get along without
them, or 2. Get an app that regularly checks an online atomic click and
synchronizes your clock. There are many such apps out there. I don't
have any recommendations.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It
seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

Thanks for these pointers--I just reset the time so I'll have to wait to
check if the clock resets upon restart. But if the motherboard battery is
going dead, what do I do for that! I've never even heard of a motherboard
battery. What does it do? Thanks again, Tim

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

Does it reset to correct time when you restart? If not, your motherboard
battery is going dead. If the clock resets to correct time when you
restart, it's a known problem caused by any number of programs. The
technical explanation is a bit involved, but the only solutions are to
1. Determine which program(s) cause the problem and get along without
them, or 2. Get an app that regularly checks an online atomic click and
synchronizes your clock. There are many such apps out there. I don't
have any recommendations.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It
seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

It is possibly due to malware. I had a case a few years ago where my 98SE
clock kept losing time and it was due to malware. Adaware fixed the problem.

"Tim" wrote in message
...
: Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It seems
to
: fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

the motherboard has a small battery often like a large watch battery, to
keep the BIOS information that is stored in a cmos chip current and
accurate, as the battery goes flat services that run off it, like the clock
when the pc is off, fail. When the battery is flat enough that the clock
starts to fail other information, like drive types and bios passwords is
sure to follow,

--
Adaware http://www.lavasoft.de
spybot http://security.kolla.de
AVG free antivirus http://www.grisoft.com
Etrust/Vet/CA.online Antivirus scan
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/virusinfo/scan.aspx
Panda online AntiVirus scan http://www.pandasoftware.com/ActiveScan/
Catalog of removal tools (1)
http://www.pandasoftware.com/download/utilities/
Catalog of removal tools (2)
http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/n...aspx?CID=40387
Blocking Unwanted Parasites with a Hosts file
http://mvps.org/winhelp2002/hosts.htm
links provided as a courtesy, read all instructions on the pages before use

Grateful thanks to the authors/webmasters
_


"Tim" wrote in message
...
Thanks for these pointers--I just reset the time so I'll have to wait to
check if the clock resets upon restart. But if the motherboard battery is
going dead, what do I do for that! I've never even heard of a motherboard
battery. What does it do? Thanks again, Tim

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

Does it reset to correct time when you restart? If not, your motherboard
battery is going dead. If the clock resets to correct time when you
restart, it's a known problem caused by any number of programs. The
technical explanation is a bit involved, but the only solutions are to
1. Determine which program(s) cause the problem and get along without
them, or 2. Get an app that regularly checks an online atomic click and
synchronizes your clock. There are many such apps out there. I don't
have any recommendations.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It
seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

The motherboard battery is typically a disk-type such as you find in
watches, though much larger than a watch battery. About /8 to 1 inch in
diameter. It's in a clip mounting, relatively easy to swap--*if* the
case is arranged to make it easy to get to. You won't know what model
battery until you remove the old one unless your motherboard
documentation includes the info.

As Dan notes, malware (viruses, spyware, adware) sometimes has this
effect, also, though it is certainly not limited to such. It can eve be
a simple procedure like moving a ton of files that will cause the
slowdown. However, since yours is a chronic affair, I'd suspect malware
or a background app or an app that you use heavily.

For suggestions on malware removal and protection, and hints on how to
create a Clean Boot environment suitable for starting a trouble-shooting
procedure, see the articles in my signature.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Thanks for these pointers--I just reset the time so I'll have to wait
to
check if the clock resets upon restart. But if the motherboard battery
is
going dead, what do I do for that! I've never even heard of a
motherboard
battery. What does it do? Thanks again, Tim

"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

Does it reset to correct time when you restart? If not, your
motherboard
battery is going dead. If the clock resets to correct time when you
restart, it's a known problem caused by any number of programs. The
technical explanation is a bit involved, but the only solutions are
to
1. Determine which program(s) cause the problem and get along
without
them, or 2. Get an app that regularly checks an online atomic click
and
synchronizes your clock. There are many such apps out there. I don't
have any recommendations.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Tim" wrote in message
...
Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time.
It
seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 19:37:06 -0800, Tim
wrote:

Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

Tim,

In addition to the other reasons it can also be caused by a
Screensaver or a program using a timing routine. A certain Norton
feature loading at boot can also cause it. If it loses time when the
machine is off it's the battery. Some machines use a capacitor
instead of a battery.

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/

When I posted my previous response here, I had just started a Copy
operation of some 16 GB on a WIn98SE system (fresh install.) Copying my
wife's entire WinXP system to another drive. (Old drive went bad.) It's
been running about an hour and a half--and has lost 20 minutes on the
clock.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"Bill Watt" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 19:37:06 -0800, Tim
wrote:

Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It
seems to
fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim

Tim,

In addition to the other reasons it can also be caused by a
Screensaver or a program using a timing routine. A certain Norton
feature loading at boot can also cause it. If it loses time when the
machine is off it's the battery. Some machines use a capacitor
instead of a battery.

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/

Thanks for the information, Bill. Yet another reason to avoid Norton
(Symantec) programs. I have very little use and patience for all the
problems that Symantec brings onto Microsoft operating systems.

"Bill Watt" wrote in message
...
: On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 19:37:06 -0800, Tim
: wrote:
:
: Does anybody know why my Windows clock doesn't keep correct time. It seems
to
: fall behind the right time. Thanks, Tim
:
: Tim,
:
: In addition to the other reasons it can also be caused by a
: Screensaver or a program using a timing routine. A certain Norton
: feature loading at boot can also cause it. If it loses time when the
: machine is off it's the battery. Some machines use a capacitor
: instead of a battery.
:
: Regards,
:
: Bill Watt
: Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/
:

On Mon, 14 Feb 2005 22:13:40 -0800, "Gary S. Terhune"
wrote:

When I posted my previous response here, I had just started a Copy
operation of some 16 GB on a WIn98SE system (fresh install.) Copying my
wife's entire WinXP system to another drive. (Old drive went bad.) It's
been running about an hour and a half--and has lost 20 minutes on the
clock.

We'll have to add that to the list of causes. :-)

Regards,

Bill Watt
Computer Help and Information http://home.epix.net/~bwatt/