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Windows Time Service Missing: 8 Methods to Restore It
Fix time service issues by restarting it or with our other solutions
7 min. read
Updated onApril 1, 2024
updated onApril 1, 2024
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Key notes
The Windows Time Service (W32Time) is a Microsoft service that synchronizes computer clock. The tool is implemented in the W32Time.dll file.
The Windows Time Service recently broke down, sending the wrong times to computers worldwide. Fortunately, Microsoft quickly fixed this problem, and your computer should nowdisplay the correct time.
Should the Windows Time Service break down again, we’ve covered you. In this article, we’ll list a series of workarounds that you can use to set the correct time on your computer.
Why is Windows Time Service missing?
What are other Windows Time Service issues?
Windows Time service can sometimes lead to certain issues if it’s not running properly. Speaking of this service, here are some similar issues that users reported:
How do I fix the Windows Time service if it’s missing?
Before we start fixing this issue, be sure to try the following:
1. Perform SFC and DISM scans
If Windows Time service isn’t running, the problem might be your file corruption. Sometimes, your system files can get corrupted, leading to this and many other errors.
To fix the problem, you need to perform an SFC scan. Once the SFC scan is finished, check for the problem.
If the issue is still present, your next step would be to run aDISMscan. To do that, start Command Prompt as administrator and run the following command:DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
Once the DISM scan is finished, check if the problem persists. If the issue is still present, repeat the SFC scan and check if that solves the issue. If this process seems too complicated or time-consuming, we recommendreliable repair software.
2. Set the Windows Time Service to automatic
After you change the Startup type, the service should automatically start with Windows, and your problem should be resolved. If you have issues with Windows Time service, you need to ensure that the Startup type of the service is set to Automatic.
3. Make sure that the Local System account starts the Windows Time service
According to users, sometimes issues Windows Time service can occur if it’s not being started properly. After making these changes, the problem should be resolved completely.
4. Register the W32Time file again
Sometimes this issue can occur if there’s a problem with the W32Time service. To fix the issue, you must stop the services and unregister it.
5. Check the Windows Time Service in the Task Scheduler
For Windows Time Service to work properly, specific scheduled tasks must be running. If there’s an issue with one of these tasks, you might encounter some problems.
6. Use a different time server
In some cases, problems with Windows Time service can occur if there’s an issue with the time server. Check out ourin-depth comparison of time.windows.com vs time.nist.govfor good measure. After changing the time server, check if the issue is still there.
You can also add more servers to the list. Here’s how to do this:
7. Force Windows to sync the time
According to users, sometimes you might be able to solve this problem simply by forcing Windows to start the service and sync the time. After that, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved.
8. Use the sc triggerinfo command
According to users, sometimes Windows Time service isn’t triggered properly, and if that’s the case, the service won’t start at all. However, you can fix the problem simply by running a single command in Command Prompt.
After executing the command, the Windows Time service should be fixed and start automatically with your PC.
There you go. We hope one of these solutions helps you synchronize your Windows 10 clock. If the problem is still there, ourWindows clock is falling behindguide should be able to help.
If you’ve encountered other workarounds to fix various Windows Time Service bugs, please list the troubleshooting steps in the comment section below.
More about the topics:System Errors,windows 10
Madalina Dinita
Networking & Security Specialist
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer.
She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies – AI and DNA computing in particular.
Prior to joining the WindowsReport team, she worked in the corporate world for a number of years.
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Madalina Dinita
Networking & Security Specialist
Madalina is a Windows fan since forever, especially interested in AI, emerging technologies, privacy, and security.
