XP, Time from PDC or Time.Windows.Com?

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G

Guest

I was looking at some XP Pro boxes in our domain, and though, when in a
domain, the "Time Server" tab doesn't show up, querysntp still yields
time.windows.com,0x1 as the SNTP source. I don't want them to go there, I
want them to get their time from the PDC emulator just like the 2000 boxes.
Are these XP pro boxes getting their time from time.windows.com or does the
fact that they are in a domain override that? If not, am I correct in
assuming I can choose not to use a time server prior to joining a domain?
 
In
- said:
I was looking at some XP Pro boxes in our domain, and though, when in
a domain, the "Time Server" tab doesn't show up, querysntp still
yields time.windows.com,0x1 as the SNTP source. I don't want them to
go there, I want them to get their time from the PDC emulator just
like the 2000 boxes. Are these XP pro boxes getting their time from
time.windows.com or does the fact that they are in a domain override
that? If not, am I correct in assuming I can choose not to use a
time server prior to joining a domain?
Click to expand...

By default, all domain members will use the PDC Emulator in an AD domain for
their time source. In order to initialize the time source on a 2000 PDC
Emulator, perform the following:

net time /setsntp:time.windows.com
net stop w32time
w32tm -once
net start w32time

On the 2003 PDC Emulator:

net time /setsntp:time.windows.com
net stop w32time
net start w32time

That's it.

--
Regards,
Ace

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services
Microsoft Certified Trainer

Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations

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Hi Ace,

If that is the case, then why do I see "time.windows.com" when I do a
querysntp from the XP desktop? It's in the domain...

Thanks
 
In
- said:
Hi Ace,

If that is the case, then why do I see "time.windows.com" when I do a
querysntp from the XP desktop? It's in the domain...

Thanks
Click to expand...

That's the default time server with all Windows machines.

Just to insure AD client config, are all your machines only pointing to the
internal DNS in their ip properties (no ISP DNS)?

Also try this:
Try net time /domain


Then
net time /querysntp


Ace
 
Yes, all clients point internally to the DNS on the domain controllers, this
is provided by DHCP. I ran the commands and they came back as expected. So
basically I don't need to worry about what XP says as long as its a member
of the domain?
 
In
- said:
Yes, all clients point internally to the DNS on the domain
controllers, this is provided by DHCP. I ran the commands and they
came back as expected. So basically I don't need to worry about what
XP says as long as its a member of the domain?
Click to expand...

I would say that's a good bet. Run the following and what do you get?

net time /domain?

It should pull it from the PDC emulator. Check it out.

Hey, I know it looks at the PDC Emulator, but if you want, you can use this
batch and call it in your master logon script to insure it sets it on all
machines to whatever server you want internally:

======================
@echo off

rem Batch File Edit Date: 11/26/2006

set DOMAIN=YourDomainNetBIOSName
set TIMESVR=ServerNetBIOSName

echo *************************************************
echo.
echo WELCOME TO THE %DOMAIN% DOMAIN
echo.
echo *************************************************
echo Setting local clock
net time \\%TIMESVR% /set /y

:End
=======================



Cheers!

Ace
 
It did go to my PDC emulator. Thanks for the script. I'm going to keep a
copy of it, but truth be told, I think we're alright. A 1/4 of our domain
is now at XP and more getting migrated daily, and no one has said anything,
so I think we're ok.
 
hi,

as I read :

in registry key

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters]

you can have value
time.windows.com,0x1

for key NtpServer, but it is important that value of key Type is NT5DS,

and machine then use time in domain ...

best regards,
Keli
 
In
- said:
It did go to my PDC emulator. Thanks for the script. I'm going to
keep a copy of it, but truth be told, I think we're alright. A 1/4
of our domain is now at XP and more getting migrated daily, and no
one has said anything, so I think we're ok.
Click to expand...

Cool. Sounds like it.

Good luck!

Ace
 
In
Keli said:
hi,

as I read :

in registry key

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters]

you can have value
time.windows.com,0x1

for key NtpServer, but it is important that value of key Type is
NT5DS,

and machine then use time in domain ...

best regards,
Keli
Click to expand...

True. If I remember correctly, NT5DS means NT5 Directory Service.

Ace
 
In
- said:
It did go to my PDC emulator. Thanks for the script. I'm going to
keep a copy of it, but truth be told, I think we're alright. A 1/4
of our domain is now at XP and more getting migrated daily, and no
one has said anything, so I think we're ok.
Click to expand...

More than likely you already are ok.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to post back.

Ace
 
It did go to my PDC emulator. Thanks for the script. I'm going to keep a
copy of it, but truth be told, I think we're alright. A 1/4 of our domain
is now at XP and more getting migrated daily, and no one has said
anything, so I think we're ok.
Click to expand...

Normally the workstations should actually get time from NEITHER, but from
the authenticating DC which gets time from PDC Emulator.
 
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