NET TIME command

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In Woody’s Window Watch newsleter today he described how to use the NET TIME command (c:windowsNET TIME servername /SET /YES) to set the clocks on workstations. He said the command can go into the start up group. I have zero experience with this, could someone please be a little more specific about how I make this command run at each start up.
Thanks,
Stats

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There are probably lots of different ways to do this. The one I use is to have a one line .BAT file called SETTIME.BAT. This contains the line

NET TIME Server /set /yes

Once you have created and tested this file, right click on it and choose “COPY”

You then need to put a shortcut to settime.bat in the Windows startup folder. The easiest way to find this folder is to right click your start button and pick “Explore”. Expand the folder called “Programs” and then go to the folder called “Startup”, right click on the Startup folder and choose “Paste Shortcut”.

Other methods for adding programs to your startup group depend on the flavour of windows you are running.

StuartR

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Worked like a charm, thank you very much. One question, when it updates the time a DOS message window comes up letting me know it was successful, is there a way to atoumatically close this window?
Stats

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If you are running Windows98 then – Right click on the .BAT file, select properties, go to the Program tab, select “Close on Exit”

Otherwise let us know which flavour of windows you’re running.

StuartR

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Thanks again Stuart, it never ceases to amaze me how helpful people are at Woody’s Lounge.
Almost all of the computers here are ’98 but there are a couple of Windows 2000, is the whole process any different for them?
Stats

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If the W2K computers are logging in to a W2K domain then they will get their time from a domain controller automatically. If the time drifts out by more than 5 minutes then the Kerberos authentication doesn’t work.

StuartR

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By the way, if the clocks on the computers drift too much and/or the computers aren’t rebooted on a frequent basis, you can always use the Win98 Task Scheduler to put that Net command into action once, twice or more per day. That’s what I used to do at my “former” place of employment. It takes one entry for each time per day you want the clock to be set.

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One task scheduler entry is sufficient, however many times a day you want it to run.

StuartR

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You’re absolutely right, Stuart! I have no idea what I was thinking! Maybe Win95 didn’t have that Advanced button, I don’t know, but it’s academic. Good catch! Thnx…..

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