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Topic: why does my clock change sometimes? |
Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 9 Nov 2007 6:52 pm |
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I have win xp and the motherboard was replaced this past summer. Several times a month the clock changes, somes back, sometimes ahead. I have the setting made where the clock periodically checks the correct time. What is causing this, just a pc glitch?
ron |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 9 Nov 2007 7:10 pm Re: why does my clock change sometimes?
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| Ron Victoria wrote: |
I have win xp and the motherboard was replaced this past summer. Several times a month the clock changes, somes back, sometimes ahead. I have the setting made where the clock periodically checks the correct time. What is causing this, just a pc glitch?
ron |
This could possibly be caused by a bad CMOS battery in the motherboard, or by a time syncronization program, or a failure to properly apply the DST patches that were issued by Microsoft earlier this summer.
More diabolically, this could be the result of a virus, or other malware, or a kid tampering with the clock to try to install a trial program that would otherwise be expired already.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog
Last edited by Wiz Feinberg on 13 Nov 2007 4:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Bill Ford
From:
Graniteville SC Aiken
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 2:59 pm
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A new battery fixed mine,"do it quickly"...Bill
_________________
Bill Ford S12 CLR, S12 Lamar keyless, Misc amps&toys Sharp Covers
Steeling for Jesus now!!! |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 13 Nov 2007 3:27 pm
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A bad CMOS battery would ONLY show up if the PC were powered off for a period and then powered back on.
If the time changes, without powering off, it is NOT the CMOS battery but something that Wiz has noted. |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2007 3:49 am
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I replaced the battery Wed and this AM I found the clock was ahead. I can rule out malware or viruses. So which patch might I need?
ron |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 23 Nov 2007 1:50 pm
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| On an off chance, there are (or used to be) some sites that you log into and that site will change the time. e.g. if you are logging into a school server, that could be one possibility. |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2007 2:42 pm
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| Ron Victoria wrote: |
I replaced the battery Wed and this AM I found the clock was ahead. I can rule out malware or viruses. So which patch might I need?
ron |
The DST Update from Microsoft, which was dispensed via Automatic and Manual Windows Updates, over the summer, and into September, this year.
However, if your clock moves more than once, and not in a manner that would indicate a DST adjustment (+/- 1 hour), this is neither normal, nor the results of DST adjustments. Either the RTC on the motherboard is defective, or some program may be trying to sync your clock to a controller, located elsewhere.
You should probably visit the web site of the manufacturer of the motherboard and see if there are any updates for the chipsets, or BIOS. If so, download them, scan for threats, then apply them, as directed. Note, that BIOS updates (Flashes) usually require you to save the file to a bootable floppy diskette, then reboot with it in the A drive. If your computer lacks a floppy drive you will have to save the BIOS upgrade to your C drive, then follow the directions given on that web site to possibly download a Windows version of their BIOS flash utility. This will require Administrator privileges.
If you do flash your BIOS, be sure to save the existing BIOS settings first, just in case things get worse with the update.
Regarding the other issue, you should scan for all threats or backdoors, using Spybot Search and Destroy, or the anti spyware application of your choice. Also, scan for rootkits, using AVG Anti-Rootkit, free edition.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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Ron Victoria
From:
New Jersey, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2007 6:18 pm
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| The rootkit came up clean. Usually when the time changes it's not just by an hour and sometimes the date also changes. The motherboard was replaced this past spring. Is it a big deal or just an annoyance? |
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Wiz Feinberg
From:
Mid-Michigan, USA
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Posted 24 Nov 2007 12:24 am
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Ron;
Unfortunately, this might be a big deal. A lot of programs depend on the system clock to establish the last modified date. I accidentally changed my clock on my laptop, on the road, while looking at a date a month ahead. I didn't realize that by clicking on a day in the future that I had set the system clock to that date. It really messed up some email functions and caused synchronization program issues, when I tried syncing changed files to my tower, back home. Time really does matter to computers. This needs fixed.
_________________
"Wiz" Feinberg, Moderator SGF Computers Forum
Security Consultant
Twitter: @Wizcrafts
Main web pages: Wiztunes Steel Guitar website | Wiz's Security Blog | My Webmaster Services | Wiz's Security Blog |
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