Windows systems maintain time synchronization through the Windows Time service (W32Time). By default, domain-joined machines sync with domain controllers, while standalone computers typically use time.windows.com as their NTP server.

The primary command for forcing time synchronization is:

w32tm /resync

This command tells the Windows Time service to immediately resynchronize with its configured time source.

Before forcing synchronization, check your current time configuration:

w32tm /query /status

This displays detailed information including:

• Current NTP server
• Last successful sync time
• Time source type
• Clock precision and stability

For more control over the synchronization process:

# Force synchronization with verbose output
w32tm /resync /rediscover /nowait

# Update time zone information
tzutil /s "Pacific Standard Time"

If synchronization fails, try these diagnostic commands:

# Check time service status
sc query w32time

# Test NTP server connectivity
w32tm /stripchart /computer:time.windows.com /dataonly /samples:3

# Re-register time service
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time

For batch processing or automated maintenance scripts:

@echo off
w32tm /resync > NUL
if %errorlevel% neq 0 (
    echo Time synchronization failed
    w32tm /config /update
    net stop w32time
    net start w32time
    w32tm /resync
)

To change the default NTP server (admin rights required):

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:"pool.ntp.org,time.nist.gov" /update
net stop w32time && net start w32time

For domain controllers, additional considerations apply:

# For PDC emulator in a domain
w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /reliable:yes /update
net stop w32time
net start w32time

To manually synchronize time on Windows systems, use this command in an elevated Command Prompt:

w32tm /resync

This forces immediate synchronization with the configured time source. For servers in domain environments, this typically means syncing with the domain hierarchy. For workstations in workgroups, it uses the configured NTP server.

Before forcing synchronization, check your current time configuration:

w32tm /query /status

This displays valuable information including:

• Current time source
• Last successful sync time
• Time service status
• Clock precision

For more control over time synchronization, these commands are valuable:

REM Update time settings without restarting the service
w32tm /config /update

REM Manually specify a time server (for workgroup computers)
w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"time.windows.com,0x1" /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update

REM Check time offset from current source
w32tm /stripchart /computer:time.windows.com /dataonly /samples:3

If synchronization fails, try these diagnostic steps:

REM Restart the Windows Time service
net stop w32time && net start w32time

REM Re-register the time service
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register

REM Check firewall settings for UDP port 123
netsh advfirewall firewall show rule name="NTP"

For regular maintenance, create a PowerShell script:

try {
    $result = w32tm /resync 2>&1
    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) {
        throw "Time sync failed: $result"
    }
    Write-Output "Time synchronized successfully"
}
catch {
    Write-Error $_.Exception.Message
    # Additional error handling logic here
}

• Domain controllers should sync with reliable external sources
• Use Group Policy to configure time settings across the domain
• Monitor time sync status via event logs (Event ID 37)
• Consider using GPS-based time sources for critical infrastructure