I have multiple Windows Server 2008 R2 servers (physical hosts, and virtuals) and multiple Windows 7 clients on the same domain of the same LAN. We have times all over the place, varying by over ten minutes. How can I set one of my servers as the standard, with it synching to a reliable outside source of time, and then have all the other servers and clients synchronize from the one server? I have seen some articles that were frankly convoluted, confusing, and basically unusable. I hope there is a neat, easy, and understandable way to synchronize. Thank you for any help. Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

below given discussion may help looking for a quick run down on how to properly setup time sync for server 2008 domain http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservergen/thread/adb51d52-1dcc-436d-89f0-2faa5a3cf7c6Thanks !

below given discussion may help looking for a quick run down on how to properly setup time sync for server 2008 domain http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winservergen/thread/adb51d52-1dcc-436d-89f0-2faa5a3cf7c6Thanks !

Sorry. That is one of the convoluted threads that never gets to the answer at all.Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

Sorry. That is one of the convoluted threads that never gets to the answer at all.Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

Hello, for domain time configuration see http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/archive/2010/06/27/time-configuration-in-a-windows-domain.aspx and especially for VMs and the host machine see: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2010/11/19/time-synchronization-in-hyper-v.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc773061(WS.10).aspx My blog article contains the commands for the PDCEmulator to sync to an external time source and also the information to reset if requried because of not working or misconfigured time settings.Best regards Meinolf Weber MVP, MCP, MCTS Microsoft MVP - Directory Services My Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/ Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

If you are using an AD domain, then by definition, your AD controllers are timeservers where all of your authenticated clients synchronize. Open up an elevated command prompt (Run as Administrator) and type NET TIME /DOMAIN:yourdomain /SET. For additional syntax, type NET HELP TIME. //////////////////// The syntax of this command is: NET TIME [\\computername | /DOMAIN[:domainname] | /RTSDOMAIN[:domainname]] [/SET] NET TIME synchronizes the computer's clock with that of another computer or domain, or displays the time for a computer or domain. When used without options on a Windows Server domain, it displays the current date and time at the computer designated as the time server for the domain. \\computername Is the name of the computer you want to check or synchronize with. /DOMAIN[:domainname] Specifies to synchronize the time from the Primary Domain Controller of domainname. /RTSDOMAIN[:domainname] Specifies to synchronize with a Reliable Time Server from domainname. /SET Synchronizes the computer's time with the time on the specified computer or domain. The /QUERYSNTP and /SETSNTP options have been deprecated. Please use w32tm.exe to configure the Windows Time Service. NET HELP command | MORE displays Help one screen at a time.

Hello, for domain time configuration see http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/archive/2010/06/27/time-configuration-in-a-windows-domain.aspx and especially for VMs and the host machine see: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2010/11/19/time-synchronization-in-hyper-v.aspx and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc773061(WS.10).aspx My blog article contains the commands for the PDCEmulator to sync to an external time source and also the information to reset if requried because of not working or misconfigured time settings.Best regards Meinolf Weber MVP, MCP, MCTS Microsoft MVP - Directory Services My Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/ Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

If you are using an AD domain, then by definition, your AD controllers are timeservers where all of your authenticated clients synchronize. Open up an elevated command prompt (Run as Administrator) and type NET TIME /DOMAIN:yourdomain /SET. For additional syntax, type NET HELP TIME. //////////////////// The syntax of this command is: NET TIME [\\computername | /DOMAIN[:domainname] | /RTSDOMAIN[:domainname]] [/SET] NET TIME synchronizes the computer's clock with that of another computer or domain, or displays the time for a computer or domain. When used without options on a Windows Server domain, it displays the current date and time at the computer designated as the time server for the domain. \\computername Is the name of the computer you want to check or synchronize with. /DOMAIN[:domainname] Specifies to synchronize the time from the Primary Domain Controller of domainname. /RTSDOMAIN[:domainname] Specifies to synchronize with a Reliable Time Server from domainname. /SET Synchronizes the computer's time with the time on the specified computer or domain. The /QUERYSNTP and /SETSNTP options have been deprecated. Please use w32tm.exe to configure the Windows Time Service. NET HELP command | MORE displays Help one screen at a time.

I have three AD domain controllers. How can I make sure that all systems on the domain sync with only one of these controllers?Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

I have three AD domain controllers. How can I make sure that all systems on the domain sync with only one of these controllers?Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

hi these are the notes i used to get all my AD servers and other windows 2008r2 servers synched Windows - NTP time on windows http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc758905(WS.10).aspx To configure a client computer for automatic domain time synchronization w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update net stop w32time net start w32time check w32tm /monitor regards

hi these are the notes i used to get all my AD servers and other windows 2008r2 servers synched Windows - NTP time on windows http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc758905(WS.10).aspx To configure a client computer for automatic domain time synchronization w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update net stop w32time net start w32time check w32tm /monitor regards

Hello, if you would read my article you would see that the PDCEmulator DC is the time source of the domain, all other DCS sync with that one and the rest of the domain machines use an available DC which is default and the recommended way to sync the time.Best regards Meinolf Weber MVP, MCP, MCTS Microsoft MVP - Directory Services My Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/ Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

Hello, if you would read my article you would see that the PDCEmulator DC is the time source of the domain, all other DCS sync with that one and the rest of the domain machines use an available DC which is default and the recommended way to sync the time.Best regards Meinolf Weber MVP, MCP, MCTS Microsoft MVP - Directory Services My Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/ Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

I scanned all the articles (blog and technet) which you link in your original reply. None refer to a "PDCEmulator," nor define what this is. It is difficult for me to follow a lengthy set of posts and counterposts in a blog to try to extract a solution. What I try to do is once a solution is arrived at, I post a complete text that gives the solution, step by step, uncluttered by the unrelated stuff or the myriad discussions that led to the solution. From other responses I have so far gleaned how to sync clients on a network with one of my domain controllers as follows: w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update net stop w32time net start w32time At least that is what I am led to believe that this set of commands does. However, other posts indicate that the clients synching to the DC should happen automatically without the above commands being run on each client. So a little bit of ambiguity there. I still have no idea what a PDCEmulator is or how I make one of my DCs such a thing or how I sync one of my DCs to a reliable external time source. I truly do appreciate all the help I get here. The way my brain works, the long articles that explain the theory of relativity before giving the answer (if any answer is given at all) just make my brain smoke. When I want to change the oil in my car, I do not care much about the history, theory, and design of lubrication systems, nor can I make sense of such. I just want to know what type of oil I need, what filter, and the steps to getting it done. So please excuse my limited comprehension. Thanks.Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

I scanned all the articles (blog and technet) which you link in your original reply. None refer to a "PDCEmulator," nor define what this is. It is difficult for me to follow a lengthy set of posts and counterposts in a blog to try to extract a solution. What I try to do is once a solution is arrived at, I post a complete text that gives the solution, step by step, uncluttered by the unrelated stuff or the myriad discussions that led to the solution. From other responses I have so far gleaned how to sync clients on a network with one of my domain controllers as follows: w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update net stop w32time net start w32time At least that is what I am led to believe that this set of commands does. However, other posts indicate that the clients synching to the DC should happen automatically without the above commands being run on each client. So a little bit of ambiguity there. I still have no idea what a PDCEmulator is or how I make one of my DCs such a thing or how I sync one of my DCs to a reliable external time source. I truly do appreciate all the help I get here. The way my brain works, the long articles that explain the theory of relativity before giving the answer (if any answer is given at all) just make my brain smoke. When I want to change the oil in my car, I do not care much about the history, theory, and design of lubrication systems, nor can I make sense of such. I just want to know what type of oil I need, what filter, and the steps to getting it done. So please excuse my limited comprehension. Thanks.Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

Hello, PDCEmulator is one of the FSMO roles that are located on one or more DCS in the domain. You can verify with "netdom query fsmo" in an elevated command prompt. On that shown DC you have to run: w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:PEERS /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update Please set for PEERS the time source as listed above, either with its ip address or DNS name. If more then one is needed separate them with a space in between and don't forget the quotes: "time.domain.com time1.domain.com" Internet Time servers you can find here: http://www.pool.ntp.org/ The command you have posted is for the domain member machines, including other DCs, member servers and domain workstations.Best regards Meinolf Weber MVP, MCP, MCTS Microsoft MVP - Directory Services My Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/ Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

Hello, PDCEmulator is one of the FSMO roles that are located on one or more DCS in the domain. You can verify with "netdom query fsmo" in an elevated command prompt. On that shown DC you have to run: w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:PEERS /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update Please set for PEERS the time source as listed above, either with its ip address or DNS name. If more then one is needed separate them with a space in between and don't forget the quotes: "time.domain.com time1.domain.com" Internet Time servers you can find here: http://www.pool.ntp.org/ The command you have posted is for the domain member machines, including other DCs, member servers and domain workstations.Best regards Meinolf Weber MVP, MCP, MCTS Microsoft MVP - Directory Services My Blog: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/ Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS IS with no warranties or guarantees and confers no rights.

THE ANSWER: 1. Doman clients should automatically sync up with the domain controller(s). To make sure this happens, enter the following commands on the client in a command prompt window (opened as "Run as Administrator"): w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update net stop w32time net start w32time 2. To synchronize a domain controller with an external time source, enter the following series of commands in a command prompt window (opened as "Run as Administrator"): net stop w32time w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:0.pool.ntp.org,1.pool.ntp.org,2.pool.ntp.org,3.pool.ntp.org w32tm /config /reliable:yes net start w32time Doug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org

THE ANSWER: 1. Doman clients should automatically sync up with the domain controller(s). To make sure this happens, enter the following commands on the client in a command prompt window (opened as "Run as Administrator"): w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /update net stop w32time net start w32time 2. To synchronize a domain controller with an external time source, enter the following command in a command prompt window (opened as "Run as Administrator"): w32tm /config /syncfromflags:manual /manualpeerlist:0.pool.ntp.org,1.pool.ntp.org,2.pool.ntp.org,3.pool.ntp.orgDoug Pruiett Good News Jail & Prison Ministry Richmond, Virginia www.goodnewsjail.org