Why is a networked computer an hour and 4 minutes off in the time?
September 12, 2015 8:05 PM Subscribe
This is a Windows 7 machine running a specialized HR app that looks like it was developed in house for a local, large retail grocery chain. Because of some new construction, it was shut off for a day or two recently, and now that it has been powered up and rebooted, and the time it reports in a floating message is an hour and 4 min. behind current CA. time. Why is that?
It never used to do that. Rebooting does nothing, and we do not have access to the control panel nor any other common Windows utilities (it's totally sandboxed.)
It never used to do that. Rebooting does nothing, and we do not have access to the control panel nor any other common Windows utilities (it's totally sandboxed.)
A weak on-board CMOS battery is my guess, too. Consider replacing the battery, as they do have a limited lifetime.
posted by dws at 8:21 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dws at 8:21 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
In *nix there is a command
posted by XMLicious at 8:31 PM on September 12, 2015
ntpdate that does a one-time synchronization with network time servers. If there's something equivalent for Windows it might be interesting to run it - if it doesn't work, that might indicate that a firewall or something is blocking connection to the time servers, whereas if it does work you can see if the synchronization holds and whether it drifts off again.posted by XMLicious at 8:31 PM on September 12, 2015
Agree with dws. I had a laptop that did this. Replace CMOS battery.
posted by irisclara at 8:45 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by irisclara at 8:45 PM on September 12, 2015
Bad CMOS clock would only be a problem immediately after boot. At some point the NTP (network time protocol) should kick in and fix it.
Read these first few results:
https://www.google.com/search?q=windows+7+internet+time
posted by intermod at 9:01 PM on September 12, 2015
Read these first few results:
https://www.google.com/search?q=windows+7+internet+time
posted by intermod at 9:01 PM on September 12, 2015
@intermod It may be that the Windows Time service is disabled for some reason. I'd guess dying CMOS battery as well. It could also be that the time zone is somehow messed up and whatever server it's syncing to is off by four minutes.
posted by cnc at 10:14 PM on September 12, 2015
posted by cnc at 10:14 PM on September 12, 2015
I concur. I've had enough experience with CMOS batteries causing PCs to enter senility (followed eventually by full-blown amnesia) that I can tell you off the top of my head that CR2032 is the battery you want. It'll cost you $3. Also, some of the sockets in which the batteries are attached can be strange, so have a knife ready to help you get it out.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:29 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Sunburnt at 11:29 PM on September 12, 2015 [1 favorite]
This can happen when people run across the "disable network time" before "set timezone" menu in Windows, they set the time they want, and then the drift from a weak CMOS battery makes it worse. I would suggest checking with someone in authority over this machine, they might need that hour difference for wage calculations in some archaic way before setting it back to the "right" time.
posted by nickggully at 6:34 AM on September 13, 2015
posted by nickggully at 6:34 AM on September 13, 2015
we do not have access to the control panel nor any other common Windows utilities (it's totally sandboxed.)
Can you boot it in Safe Mode?
posted by flabdablet at 8:39 AM on September 13, 2015
Can you boot it in Safe Mode?
posted by flabdablet at 8:39 AM on September 13, 2015
Before you try Safe Mode: does Shift-Ctrl-Esc bring up the Task Manager? What about Ctrl-Alt-Del? If you can get to Task Manager, is File->New Task available? If so, running timedate.cpl should get you the clock adjustment control panel.
Can you print from this sandboxed app? If so, do you get a choice of printers? If so, does the printer selection dialog include Find or Add buttons? Can you save or load files in any way?
Once you can expose anything that looks like a standard file chooser dialog, you can usually abuse that to bring up a Windows Explorer window, then go spelunking for whatever else you need. Inside the standard file chooser, do whatever it takes to make the Computer icon visible (might already be there in a left pane, or you might need to use the folder selection control to get there) then right-click on Computer and choose "Open in new window".
If that gives you an Explorer window, navigate into C:\Windows\System32 and double-click timedate.cpl from in there.
posted by flabdablet at 8:56 AM on September 13, 2015
Can you print from this sandboxed app? If so, do you get a choice of printers? If so, does the printer selection dialog include Find or Add buttons? Can you save or load files in any way?
Once you can expose anything that looks like a standard file chooser dialog, you can usually abuse that to bring up a Windows Explorer window, then go spelunking for whatever else you need. Inside the standard file chooser, do whatever it takes to make the Computer icon visible (might already be there in a left pane, or you might need to use the folder selection control to get there) then right-click on Computer and choose "Open in new window".
If that gives you an Explorer window, navigate into C:\Windows\System32 and double-click timedate.cpl from in there.
posted by flabdablet at 8:56 AM on September 13, 2015
Missed the fact that it's off by about an hour. Most common cause for that is messed up Daylight Savings settings.
posted by flabdablet at 12:14 PM on September 13, 2015
posted by flabdablet at 12:14 PM on September 13, 2015
Response by poster: Thanks for all the suggestions. I should explain: just a minion here, and, mainly curious as to why the networking software didn't update the time (as it seems to do on all the devices I personally own.))
I'm not working this week, but I'll check the battery (if I can find it) some evening soon. It's a relatively new HP screen only model (no keyboard) that just sort of hangs there, so I'm thinking the battery should be in an obvious place right in back.
'Course, I could just suggest to my boss that we call tech support. We are a typical, really big company: tech support will be out sometime soon. ;-)
posted by pjmoy at 1:43 PM on September 13, 2015
I'm not working this week, but I'll check the battery (if I can find it) some evening soon. It's a relatively new HP screen only model (no keyboard) that just sort of hangs there, so I'm thinking the battery should be in an obvious place right in back.
'Course, I could just suggest to my boss that we call tech support. We are a typical, really big company: tech support will be out sometime soon. ;-)
posted by pjmoy at 1:43 PM on September 13, 2015
Best answer: That the time is off by only one hour and a few minutes, and that the system still boots without fuss, says to me that the CMOS battery is actually still in good shape. If you pop it out to replace it, you will destroy the saved settings it keeps alive as well as any notion of current date and time, and you will absolutely need a keyboard to get the box going again.
If the box currently has no keyboard, just plug in a USB one, give it thirty seconds to install the keyboard driver, press Ctrl-Alt-Del and see what happens.
posted by flabdablet at 11:54 PM on September 13, 2015
If the box currently has no keyboard, just plug in a USB one, give it thirty seconds to install the keyboard driver, press Ctrl-Alt-Del and see what happens.
posted by flabdablet at 11:54 PM on September 13, 2015
As for
why the networking software didn't update the time
that would be because the Windows Time Service is a buggy unreliable POS with multiple obscure failure modes, which might well not actually even be turned on.
posted by flabdablet at 11:57 PM on September 13, 2015
why the networking software didn't update the time
that would be because the Windows Time Service is a buggy unreliable POS with multiple obscure failure modes, which might well not actually even be turned on.
posted by flabdablet at 11:57 PM on September 13, 2015
Response by poster: Sorry this has taken so long, but I did drag my wireless usb keyboard and dongle in, looked for usb ports on the machine, and did not find any. The machine is an HP Touchsmart 9100, and I was going to check HP's website for any plastic pieces that would pop off and reveal the usb ports, but, while I was at the store, I noticed a problem where it appeared the displayed time was going backwards (!), at which point I thought: well, forget it, this looks like a serious hardward problem.
I did learn a few things about timekeeping on Windows and technical things I was curious about. There is some sort of kiosk demon running that blocks most things, and maybe it would have blocked any attempt at adjusting the time, anyway.
There was a hardware person from corporate in a few days ago, and machine is working fine, if little used. Nice fifteen hundred dollar clock, though. ;-)
posted by pjmoy at 12:33 AM on October 18, 2015
I did learn a few things about timekeeping on Windows and technical things I was curious about. There is some sort of kiosk demon running that blocks most things, and maybe it would have blocked any attempt at adjusting the time, anyway.
There was a hardware person from corporate in a few days ago, and machine is working fine, if little used. Nice fifteen hundred dollar clock, though. ;-)
posted by pjmoy at 12:33 AM on October 18, 2015
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posted by Static Vagabond at 8:17 PM on September 12, 2015