Windows XP clock poblem

All computers need to know the time. Most computers have internal clocks which are battery backed, so the computer can still keep time when the machine is off. Computers are mass marketed and designed for multi functions, timing not being that high on the manufacturer’s agenda. The internal clocks (called RTC real time chips) are normally adequate for home computing or when workstations run alone. To get around these problems most computers on a network are synchronized to a single time source using NTP (network time protocol) this time source can be either relative (a computer’s clock or wrist watch) or an absolute time source like UTC.

UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) was developed after the emergence of atomic clocks and is a standard time scale used globally, allowing machines all over the world to use a single time source.

Windows XP can easily set the system clock to use UTC by accessing an Internet source for UTC (either: time.windows.com or time.nist.gov). If you wish to run a network time server Windows XP, then specialist NTP servers are available that can receive a time reference via the GPS satellite system or specialist national transmissions

To allow Windows XP to operate as a network time server, the NTP service needs to be switched on. Edit the DWORD Value and type 1. An accurate time reference is very important for the use of computer software applications. For important applications, the time base should be synchronized with a highly accurate external time source.

Personal Computers are not designed to be perfect clocks. Where time is crucial to the application, there are a number of precise external references available that enable computers to maintain accurate system time. This article looks at the various sources of time references to show how they can be utilized to maintain synchronized time on your computer.

Working to a synchronized time base is essential in computer networks. On the Internet this problem has been solved by introducing the Network Time Protocol (NTP). The NTP protocol supports the distribution of accurate time from a highly precise time server to network time clients. Most modern operating systems have the ability to synchronies time with an NTP server. UNIX and LINUX operating Platform is able to download the complete NTP application from the NTP website.ntp.org NTP is freely available, open source software, available under the GNU public license.

Microsoft Windows XP/2000/2003 and Vista operating systems use a simplified routine designated SNTP client for Simple Network Time Protocol. The Windows operating systems provide facilities for an IP address or domain name of an Internet or Intranet NTP server to be entered in the time properties tab. The SNTP client will then contact the NTP server periodically in order to update and synchronies system time.

The Computer Time synchronizes to the received time and frequency radio source.