Time synchronization issues are rarely an issue in Windows 11 / Windows 10. The Windows clock automatically syncs with the internet once a week to ensure it’s on track. Occasionally, however, things can still go awry. Today we’re going to show you how to sync time in Windows with an atomic time clock or Windows 10 / Windows 11 time server to remedy this.
How to update computer time automatically using a Windows timeserver
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Before we start, however, it’s necessary to determine whether your incorrect time is down to a synchronization issue or if it’s just a problem with your time zone. If the minutes of your clock are right but the hour isn’t, your clock is most likely set to the wrong country or hasn’t accounted for daylight savings. You can just enable the daylight saving toggle or change your time zone in settings to remedy this.
If your minutes and hours or just minutes are wrong, it’s more likely that you have a synchronization problem. You can fix this in a few seconds by performing a time synchronization in Settings or the Control Panel. You can also use the time synchronization command in CMD if you prefer.
We’ll guide you through each of these methods to sync time in Windows 11 below.
⚠️ Please note: The process described below is the same in Windows 11 as it is in Windows 10. However, bear in mind that we’ll be using screenshots from Windows 11, so your UI may look a little different. We’ll point out any changes you need to be aware of as they come up.
How to Sync Time in Windows 11 or Windows 10 via Settings
The most intuitive way to time synchronize in Windows 11 is, unsurprisingly, through its modern settings UI. In a few clicks, you can use the time.windows.com time server to make your clock accurate again:
- Press the Start button and click “Settings”
- Press “Time & language” in the sidebar, then click “Date & time” in the main pane
- Press the “Sync now” button
- A tick next to the button will verify that your time is in sync
Windows will automatically adjust your clock to match this new time.
How to Sync with an Internet Time Server in Windows 11 or Windows 10 via Control Panel
If you don’t like the modern settings interface, you can time synchronize in Windows 11 through the Control Panel instead. Just like Settings, this syncs with time.windows.com – it just takes a couple more steps.
- Press Start and type “Control Panel”, then click the top result
- Click the search bar in the top-right of Control Panel and type “Date and Time”
Click “Date and Time” in the main pane to access the settings.
- Open the “Internet Time” tab and press “Change settings…”
- Press “Update now” and then “OK”
If you’d like, you can also use this opportunity to change time server in Windows 11. Just replace time.windows.com with the time server of your choice.
You could, for example, add an atomic clock time server from google: time.google.com.
- Press “OK” again in the Date and Time window
How to Use a Time Sync Command in Windows 11 or Windows 10
Once you know the command, it’s often faster to perform tasks in the command line rather than through the UI. This is the case for time synchronization in Windows 11. You can sync time in CMD to get your clock back on track very quickly:
- Right-click your Start button and press “Windows Terminal (Admin)”
- Run the time synchronization command in Windows Terminal
Type the following in your command line and press Enter:
w32tm /resync
That’s it. Windows will instantly update your clock. You’ll get a
The command completed successfullyoutput when it’s finished.
Extra: How to Change Time Zone and Sync with an Atomic Clock in Windows 10
We covered atomic time clocks briefly in this guide, but for more information and details on how to change your Windows time zone, you should read our Windows 10 guide.
It’s far easier to tell whether your clock is in sync when you can see its seconds on the taskbar. You can follow our existing how to show seconds on the Windows taskbar tutorial to achieve this.
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