'nuther 'puter question for you gurus

[klavy69]

Ok, Got my tower back today and still sitting by the back door . Anyway, I've been using my daughters tower for the last 6-8 weeks and I have this annoying thing happening every couple days. The time skips ahead an hour. Its not a 'timed' thing that happens regularly but one day it will happen a couple times then it might not happen for 2-3 days but will then skip ahead an hour. Not a big deal but thought one of you gurus might have some easy explanation to this annoyance.
Thanx for any info on this...
Todd

[Mr. ED]

That just means ou fell asleep a couple times in front ofthe sreen. I forgot the name of that syndrome... Sorry to hear about your misfortune buddy

[Lowgear]

Narcolepsy?


Anyway, thats an odd one that I've never come across before.

There can be a million different reasons why its doing it, and just as many things to try to fix it. If it kept time erratically or was losing time then that would be the motherboard battery going dead. This skipping ahead an hour is a different story. I guess I would start by messing around with all of the time settings. An hour ahead could be a daylight savings time issue. Theres also a chance that a piece of software or spyware/virus could be causing it though unlikely.

From the searching I did I found a number of threads about it on various message boards but no definitive answers.

[Mr. ED]

you got to open the case, unlock the motherboard and look on the backside....


Does it say time-traveller somewhere?

[Coelacanth]

I've worked in I.T. for over 17 years and I've never heard of that issue (time erratically moving ahead an hour). There are a number of things that can cause issues with system time, but most don't apply to your situation.

A dying CMOS battery (this is the little round, flat watch battery inserted on the motherboard somewhere) will reset your system time back to 12:00, just like your bed-side alarm clock after a power outage. Every reboot, you'll be back to 12:00.

Windows 2000 had an issue resulting from changes to Daylight Savings Time that happened a year or two ago; DST was changed from the usual date, but this change happened long after the Win 2K programming. The result was, Win 2K would change system time when the ORIGINAL DST would happen, resulting in your time being ahead or behind by 1 hour--until the "new" DST would happen, then the time would show correctly. You could change the time manually, but it would just revert back after the next reboot. The only solution was to change the time zone one zone ahead or back to "fool" Windows into displaying the correct time.

A time incorrect of only & exactly one hour seems to be related to time zone. What version of Windows is running on this computer? The problem could also have something to do with a service called Windows Time, which checks online time & date servers to synchronize time on multiple computers (i.e. on a network where an admin wants all computers to have the exact same time). You can check this service, it's usually set to "Auto" by default, and should be 'Started'. If it's not, change it that way. If it's running, try disabling the service and reboot.

-Click Start > Run

-Type in "services.msc" (without the quotes)

-Scroll down to near the bottom of the list, it's alphabetical order, and double-click "Windows Time" to change settings.

Hope this helps!

[THEYTOOKMYTHUMB]

Is the clock on the computer tied to your IP address? What type of internet do you have? If the server changes then the location may jump to a different time zone which automatically updates your time.

I know about just enough to be dangerous though...

I'd just hide the clock feature and buy a watch.

[aconsola]

I'd just hide the clock feature or buy a MAC

fixed it.

[greene-r74]

Ive been working on computers for 16 years and I have always found that the simplest problems usually take the most drastic measures to fix. Probably the CMOS clock is messed up and it requires a new motherboard. IF you leave it. will it continue skipping hours? One hour than another than another? Or does it skip ahead one hour and stay there? If it keeps skipping its probably a clock issue. If it only skips one hour and stays there its probably like the others have said. Probably some software or internet service setting your clock to the wrong time zone.

[Heffay]

Where do you live?

If you're in a place like AZ, where daylight savings is not observed, maybe that is the issue.

[Jay Dub]

This is really pretty simple. Its not that the tower is skipping ahead an hour, its that you are skipping back an hour (eratically as you put it). This should be looked at as a good thing, because this means you have more hours in your day -to do things like work on your PC. Glad to help -Jeff

[klavy69]

That just means ou fell asleep a couple times in front ofthe sreen.

I laugh because its happened

An hour ahead could be a daylight savings time issue.

checked all over after this post and found nothing out of the ordinary. I will check to see when it happens again if these change also

you got to open the case, unlock the motherboard and look on the backside....


Does it say time-traveller somewhere?

after the snow and all the problems lately I needed a good laugh Mr.ED...for that I thank you

What version of Windows is running on this computer? The problem could also have something to do with a service called Windows Time, which checks online time & date servers to synchronize time on multiple computers (i.e. on a network where an admin wants all computers to have the exact same time). You can check this service, it's usually set to "Auto" by default, and should be 'Started'. If it's not, change it that way. If it's running, try disabling the service and reboot.

-Click Start > Run

-Type in "services.msc" (without the quotes)

-Scroll down to near the bottom of the list, it's alphabetical order, and double-click "Windows Time" to change settings.

Hope this helps!

Running XP on these. Will check to see after I get done here with the important things of RC first

Is the clock on the computer tied to your IP address? What type of internet do you have?

Dunno but am running with frontier (my phone company) DSL.

I know about just enough to be dangerous though...

you and me both but sounds like I might be a little less dangerous since I know a little less than you do

I'd just hide the clock feature and buy a watch.

but then I might not have enuf for when someone sells something in the B/S/T area that I just hafta have

I'd just hide the clock feature or buy a MAC

fixed it.

Good one Anthony but I can't figure out one let alone 2 types of new fangled goodness . I'd have to still have both since I can't afford to replace 3 of them at once

IF you leave it. will it continue skipping hours? One hour than another than another? Or does it skip ahead one hour and stay there?.

it stays ahead an hour after skipping there. definitely gonna do some checking about the time zones thingymabobber after getting done with the forum first...I'm having too much fun in this forum question and I've been needing this

Where do you live?

Fulton, IL...we have our own windmill if that counts but not much of anything else

Its not that the tower is skipping ahead an hour, its that you are skipping back an hour (eratically as you put it). Glad to help -Jeff

I laugh again as this has also happened to me


well after the complete and utter best feeling I've had all day peaks I'll try to disable that feeling by checkin all that has been put up about timezones and such. Its not really a problem but more of an annoyance so if I can't figure it out with all the great help I've gotten so far it might just have to stay that way. Thanx to all that helped in every way possible...besides needing it...I was needing it all. I love this place
Todd

[greene-r74]

Set it back two hours so when it jumps ahead it right.