Windows time service is not running

Fix time service issues by restarting it or with our other solutions

by Madalina Dinita

Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies… read more

Updated on October 4, 2023

The Windows Time Service (W32Time) is a Microsoft service that synchronizes computer clock. The tool is implemented in the W32Time.dll file.

The Windows Time Service recently broke down, sending the wrong times to computers worldwide. Fortunately, Microsoft quickly fixed this problem, and your computer should now display the correct time.

Should the Windows Time Service break down again, we’ve covered you. In this article, we’ll list a series of workarounds that you can use to set the correct time on your computer.

Why is Windows Time Service missing?

• Damaged installation – Sometimes your installation can get damaged. To fix it, you need to repair corrupted system files.
• Service settings – In case the service isn’t properly configured, you can get this and many similar errors. Restarting it, usually fixes the problem.
• Improperly configured tasks – If the tasks aren’t scheduled properly, you need to manually schedule tasks related to date and time.
• Time server issues – In some instances, there might be issues with the time server. Change the server and check if that helps.

What are other Windows Time Service issues?

Windows Time service can sometimes lead to certain issues if it’s not running properly. Speaking of this service, here are some similar issues that users reported:

• Windows 10 time service not starting, access denied, not working, not found, not showing
  • There are various issues that can occur with Windows Time service on Windows 10, but you should be able to fix most of them by using one of our solutions.
• Windows Time service keeps stopping
  • According to users, sometimes this service keeps stopping on your PC.
  • To fix this problem, be sure to run both SFC and DISM scans and check if that solves the issue.
• Windows Time service missing, not installed
  • If this service is missing or if it’s not installed, be sure to reregister the service and check if that solves the problem.
• Windows Time service not starting error 1792, 1290, 1079
  • There are various errors that can prevent this service from running, and if you encounter any of these issues, be sure to try some of our solutions.
• Windows Time service could not be started
  • This is another common problem with Windows Time service.
  • If this issue occurs, you might have to change the Startup type of Windows Time service.
• Windows Time not syncing
  • This is another common problem caused by Windows Time service.
  • However, you can fix it by checking your scheduled tasks.

In this article

• Why is Windows Time Service missing?
• What are other Windows Time Service issues?
• How do I fix the Windows Time service if it’s missing?
• 1. Perform SFC and DISM scans
• 2. Set the Windows Time Service to automatic
• 3. Make sure that the Local System account starts the Windows Time service
• 4. Register the W32Time file again
• 5. Check the Windows Time Service in the Task Scheduler
• 6. Use a different time server
• 7. Force Windows to sync the time
• 8. Use the sc triggerinfo command

How do I fix the Windows Time service if it’s missing?

Before we start fixing this issue, be sure to try the following:

• Check motherboard battery – Often, time and date issues are caused by a faulty motherboard battery. Consider replacement before trying other steps.

1. Perform SFC and DISM scans

1. Press Windows key + X to open Win + X menu.
2. Now choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Powershell (Admin) from the menu.
   
3. When Command Prompt opens, type the following and press Enter: sfc /scannow
   
4. SFC scan will now start. This scan can take up to 15 minutes, so don’t interfere with it or interrupt it.

If Windows Time service isn’t running, the problem might be your file corruption. Sometimes your system files can get corrupted, and that can lead to this and many other errors.

To fix the problem, you need to perform an SFC scan. Once the SFC scan is finished, check if the problem is still there.

If the issue is still present, your next step would be to run a DISM scan. To do that, start Command Prompt as administrator and run the following command: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Once the DISM scan is finished, check if the problem still persists. If the issue is still present, repeat the SFC scan and check if that solves the issue.

2. Set the Windows Time Service to automatic

1. Press Windows key + R and type services.msc. Next, press Enter.
   
2. Scroll down to Windows Time and double-click it.
   
3. Change the Startup type to Automatic. Lastly, click on Apply and OK.
   

After you change the Startup type, the service should automatically start with Windows, and your problem should be resolved. If you have issues with Windows Time service, you need to ensure that the Startup type of the service is set to Automatic.

3. Make sure that the Local System account starts the Windows Time service

1. Open the Services window.
2. Scroll down to Windows Time and double-click it.
   
3. Select the Log Ontab and check the Local System account. Lastly, click Apply and OK.
   

According to users, sometimes issues Windows Time service can occur if it’s not being started properly. After making these changes, the problem should be resolved completely.

4. Register the W32Time file again

1. Press Windows key + X and choose PowerShell (Admin).
   
2. Run the following commands:
   net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
3. Close PowerShell.

Sometimes this issue can occur if there’s a problem with the W32Time service. To fix the issue, you must stop the services and unregister it.

5. Check the Windows Time Service in the Task Scheduler

1. Go to the Search menu, type task scheduler and select Task Scheduler.
2. Expand the Task Scheduler Library tree. Next, go to Microsoft and select Windows. Lastly, choose Time Synchronization.
   
3. Left-click each task and make sure it is enabled. To enable a task, right-click it and select Enable.
4. Still in the center pane, check the settings from the Triggers tab and set the service to run automatically at startup.

For Windows Time Service to work properly, certain scheduled tasks need to be running. If there’s an issue with one of these tasks, you might encounter some problems.

Read more about this topic

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• How to Open & Use the Emoji Panel on Windows 10

6. Use a different time server

1. Press Windows key + R and enter control. Click OK.
   
2. Go to Date and Time.
   
3. Go to Internet Time and click the Change settings button.
   
4. Select time.nist.gov as the Server and click the Update now button. Also, try using pool.ntp.org as the server, some users reported that this fixed the issue.
   

In some cases, problems with Windows Time service can occur if there’s an issue with the time server. After changing the time server, check if the issue is still there.

You can also add more servers to the list. Here’s how to do this:

1. Press Windows key + R and enter regedit. Press Enter.
   
2. Once the Registry Editor opens, navigate to the following path:
   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers
   
3. To add a new time server, right-click the empty space and choose New and then String Value.
   
4. Enter the appropriate number and double-click it. In the Value data field enter the server’s address.
   
   Here are some server examples:
   • time-a.nist.gov
   • time-b.nist.gov
   • 128.105.37.11
   • europe.pool.ntp.org
   • clock.isc.org
   • north-america.pool.ntp.org
   • time.windows.com
   • time.nist.gov
5. After you add servers to the registry, simply go to Time and Date settings and choose any of the servers that you added.

7. Force Windows to sync the time

1. Start PowerShell as adminsitartor. Use Windows key + X and select PowerShell (Admin).
   
2. Now run the following commands:
   net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time
w32tm /resync

According to users, sometimes you might be able to solve this problem simply by forcing Windows to start the service and sync the time. After that, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

8. Use the sc triggerinfo command

1. Start Powershell as administrator.
2. Now run the following command: sc triggerinfo w32time start/networkon stop/networkoff
   

According to users, sometimes Windows Time service isn’t triggered properly, and if that’s the case, the service won’t start at all. However, you can fix the problem simply by running a single command in Command Prompt.

After the command is executed, the Windows Time service should be fixed and start automatically with your PC.

There you go, we hope one of these solutions helped you to synchronize your Windows 10 clock. If the problem is still there, our Windows clock is falling behind guide should be able to help.

If you’ve come across other workarounds to fix various Windows Time Service bugs, feel free to list the troubleshooting steps in the comment section below.

One of the most common issues faces by Windows users is ‘Windows Time Service Not Running’.

At Bobcares, we often get requests from our customers to fix this issue.

Today, let see some methods used by our Experienced Support Techs to fix this issue.

Windows Time Service

Windows Time Service (W32Time) or the Clock Synchronization Service is a Microsoft Windows service.

It is responsible for synchronization of time and date on Windows system to show the correct time according to our location.

The synchronization is basically done through an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server.

Every system irrespective of their location use the NTP service to maintain the accurate time in their systems.

Causes for ‘Windows Time Service Not Running’ on Windows

If we get the Windows Time Service not running error in the Windows system, it will start showing the wrong time and date.

Correct time on our system is very important as system updates, reminders, etc. can be scheduled accordingly.

Some causes of the Windows Time Service not running error are given below:

Methods to Fix Windows Time Service Not Running Error

Some methods used by our Support Engineers to fix this error on Windows are given below.

 1. Setting Windows to Auto Trigger Windows Time Service

Usually, Windows Time Service starts automatically with Windows startup, but it may stop doing so because of some error or glitch.

It can also happen when the Windows Time Service is not set to trigger automatically.

Steps to check or alter and fix this are given below:

1.  Press Windows Key + R key together to open the command prompt and type services.msc then press the Enter button.

2. The Services window will open up. Then scroll down the list of services till we find Windows Time service and double-click on it.

3. A new Windows Time Properties box will open.

4. From the drop-down list of Startup type, select the Automatic option.

5. Check if the service status is running, if not then click on Start.

6. Now, click on Apply and Press OK.

These steps will start the Windows Time Service and the time on the system will be synced.

2. Use SC Trigger Command to Autostart Windows Time Service.

Windows Time Service not running error can also be solved by setting it to automatically launch using Command Prompt or by setting it to Automatic from Windows Time Properties.

Steps to follow  for setting from CMD are given below:

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Run as Administrator).

2. Then give the following command and press Enter to run it.

sc triggerinfo w32time start/networkon stop/networkoff

Once the command is successfully executed, it will trigger the Windows Time Service to run automatically. Then we have to restart the system.

3. Re-register and Restart Windows Time Service

In this method, we will be stopping, then re-registering the Windows Time Service, then restarting it to see if the Windows Time Service not running issue remains.

Steps to follow are given below:

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Run as Administrator).

2. Then give the following command and press the Enter key.

net stop w32time

3. To unregister Windows Time Service and to remove all the information from the Registry give the following command and press Enter.

w32tm /unregister

3. Then to re-register the Windows Time Service and to install the setting automatically give the following command and press Enter.

w32tm /register

4. Start the service again by giving the following command and press Enter.

net start w32time

5. Give the following command is to synchronize the system and press Enter.

w32tm /resync /nowait

After executing these commands, we have to restart the system and check the Windows’ time.

4. Run SFC and DISM

System files can often be corrupted and as a result, it can cause this issue.

SFC Scan stands for System File Checker scan and DISM stands for Deployment Image Servicing and Management.

SFC scan can be carried out with the following steps:

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Run as Administrator).

2. Then give the following command and press the Enter key.

sfc /scannow

Once the scan is complete, restart the system. Now, check if the error Windows Time Service not running still occurs.

If yes, we can perform a DISM Scan.

DISM Scan can be carried out with the following steps:

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Run as Administrator).

2. Then give the following command and press the Enter key.

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

When the DISM scan is complete, restart the system again and check if the problem persists. If the issue is still present, repeat the SFC scan again and check if the issue is resolved.

[Still facing the issue? We are here for you!]

5. Checking Windows Time Service in Local System Account

If the Windows Time Service is not running, there are chances it is not enabled in the Local System Account settings.

Steps to fix this are given below:

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Run as Administrator).

2. Then type Services.msc and press Enter.

3. Scroll down to find Windows Time and then double-click on it.

4. The Windows Time Properties box appears, go to the Log On tab and select the Local System account checkbox.

5. Click on Apply and then press the OK button.

 

6. Checking Task Scheduler for Windows Time Service settings

Task Scheduler also handles the functioning of Windows Time Service. In this method, we see if everything is set properly, or not. And if not set properly we will fix it.

Steps to follow are:

1. Take Task Scheduler Library; click on it to expand.

2. In the expanded library, look for Microsoft library; click on it to expand it.

3. From Microsoft’s library, look for Windows then click on it to expand.

4. Make sure that Time Synchronization is Enabled.

If we see an option that says ‘Disable’ in the context menu, that means it is already enabled. Then we have to check if the service has resumed.

7. Using a Different Time Server

Windows Time Service is not running problem can also arise if there is an issue with the Time Server. We can change Time Server manually to fix this issue.

Steps to follow are:

1. Control Panel and then click on the icon which says Date And Time

2. At the top, click on the ‘Internet Time’ tab.

3. Now click on the Change Settings option.

4. Under the Server dropdown list, select time.nist.gov and click on Update Now.

5. Click on OK to save the changes.

8. Registering the W32Time file (Alternative method)

This is an alternate way to re-register and restart the service in Command Prompt.

Steps to follow are:

1. Open Command Prompt in Admin mode (Run as Administrator).

2. Then give the following command and press the Enter key (Copy the text and press Enter to execute them in the same sequence in which it is given):

pushd %SystemRoot%\system32
.\net stop w32time
.\w32tm /unregister
.\w32tm /register
.\sc config w32time type= own
.\net start w32time
.\w32tm /config /update /manualpeerlist:”0.pool.ntp.org,1.pool.ntp.org,2.pool.ntp.org,3.pool.ntp.org”,0x8 /syncfromflags:MANUAL /reliable:yes
.\w32tm /resync
popd

Do not break the sequence and do not misplace or replace any character. Make sure to check it twice before executing it.

[Need further assistance? We are here for you!]

Conclusion

In short, we’ve discussed the causes of ‘ Windows Time Service Not Running’ Also, we saw how our Support Engineers fix them using different methods.

 

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Why is Windows time service not running on Windows 10?

There are various issues that can occur with Windows Time service on Windows 10, but you should be able to fix most of them by using one of our solutions. According to users, sometimes this service keeps stopping on your PC. To fix this problem, be sure to run both SFC and DISM scans and check if that solves the issue.

What should I do if my Windows 10 time keeps changing?

The good thing about Windows operating system is that it allows users to reset the system. So, if all methods failed to fix the Windows 10 time keeps changing problem, then the final solution is to perform a System Reset. However, it will remove files and folders that were saved on the Windows installation drive.

How to disable Windows time service in command prompt?

Step 1: Use the Step 1 in Method #2 to open Command Prompt in Admin mode. Step 2: When in Command Prompt, disable the Windows Time Service. For this, type net stop w32time and press the Enter key. Step 3 : Now to unregister Windows Time Service and to remove all the information from the Registry, type w32tm /unregister and press Enter.

Why does Windows services stop automatically [ solved ]?

It stops all services automatically then I have to restart manually.Results error in network connection. My name is Yugen Pillay, I’m from South Africa. I am also having the problem where the Computer Browser is disabling itself. Can you please help me. Thank you for your time.

What to do if Windows time service is not working?

Right click on cmd and click on Run as administrator. Click yes on the User Account Control prompt. Switch User or logoff. Login to the Built-in Administrator account and check if you are able to execute >w32tm /resync. I suggest you to follow the below steps to disable the built-in Administrator account.

What to do when Windows Explorer has stopped working?

To do this, follow these steps: Click Start and type Action Center in the Search area and click Action Center from the returned list In the Action Center window, click Maintenance, click View reliability history and then click View all problem reports from the bottom of the Reliability Monitor window

How to restart Windows 10 outside of active hours?

After you complete the steps, if an update is pending, the computer will only restart outside the active hours you specified, preventing interruptions while you’re working. To schedule a restart to apply an update outside of the active hours schedule, use these steps: Open Settings. Click on Update & Security. Click on Windows Update.

What’s the maximum amount of time you can work in Windows 10?

Open Settings. Click on Update & Security. Click the Change active hours option. Specify the time range you’re usually working on your device. Note: The maximum amount of time you can set is 18 hours. If you specify any range that’s more than the allowed, it’ll be marked as invalid. Click the Save button.