7 Ways to Fix Time Sync Failed on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Ensure the automatic date and time feature is enabled and that the Windows Time service is running.
• Try changing the default time server and forcing a time sync using Command Prompt.
• If the issue persists, you may need to scan your PC for corrupt files or modify a few registry settings.

Fix 1: Review Date and Time Settings

You can start by verifying the date and time settings on Windows to ensure they’re set to be updated automatically. Here’s how.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to launch the Settings app and head to Time & language > Date & time.

Step 2: Enable the switches next to Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically.

Step 3: Go to Additional settings and hit the Sync now button.

Fix 2: Restart Windows Time Service

The Windows Time service is a small program that needs to run in the background for time synchronization. Ideally, this service should start automatically when your PC boots. However, if the service encounters an error during startup, restarting it might help resolve the issue.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run command, type in services.msc, and press Enter.

Step 2: In the Services window, locate Windows Time service. Right-click on it and select Restart from the menu. If the service is not running, hit Start.

Fix 3: Change Time Server

If the problem persists, consider switching to a different time server to fix the time sync error. Note that you’ll need to be logged in with administrative account privileges to make this change.

Step 1: Click the search icon on the taskbar, type date & time settings in the search box, and press Enter.

Step 2: Scroll down to Related settings and click on Additional clocks.

Step 3: Under the Internet Time tab, click Change settings.

Step 4: Use the drop-down menu next to Server to select a different server and hit Update now.

Fix 4: Force Time Sync with Command Prompt

If switching to a different server doesn’t help, you can use the Command Prompt to reset the Windows Time service configurations and force Windows to sync time. Here’s how.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select the Terminal (Admin) option from the list.

Step 2: Run the following commands one by one.

net stop w32time

w32tm /unregister

w32tm /register

net start w32time

w32tm /resync

Fix 5: Run SFC Scan

Such issues can also arise if Windows is missing some of its system files. In such cases, running an SFC (or System File Checker) scan will help restore those missing or corrupted system files with their cached versions.

Step 1: Open the Terminal window with admin rights again.

Step 2: Paste the command mentioned below and press Enter.

SFC /scannow

Fix 6: Modify Registry Files

Another thing you can do to fix the time sync issue in Windows is modify the update interval. For that, you’ll need to modify a few registry files.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog. Type in regedit and press Enter.

Step 2: In the Registry Editor window, use the address bar at the top to navigate to the following key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient

Step 3: Double-click on the SpecialPollInterval key and change its value to 86400. Hit OK to save changes.

Restart your PC for changes to take effect and see if that resolves the issue.

Fix 7: Add More Time Servers

Lastly, if the above solutions don’t work out, there might be an issue with one of the servers you’re using to sync time. You can add more time servers to Windows and try connecting to them to fix this.

Step 1: Open the Registry Editor again.

Step 2: Use the left pane or the address bar to navigate to the following key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers

Step 3: Right-click anywhere on the empty space, go to New, and select String Value.

Step 4: In the value name, enter the number for the server. Since we already have 2 servers, we’ll enter the third one. In the Value data field, type in time.google.com and hit OK.

You can create more string values to add more time servers if you like. Once added, follow the steps mentioned in Method 3 above to change the time server on Windows.