Tech Files
Does Anybody Really Know
What Time it Is?
Have you ever sat down at a PC that was seriously out of step with real time? I’m talking about a machine that thinks it’s 3AM on Tuesday, when it’s actually 4PM on Friday. In other cases, the system time might be nearly correct—maybe just 10 or 15 minutes fast, for example—but still far enough off to be annoying. In either case, you’d probably rather fix the problem than keep relying on your watch to double-check the time.
Fortunately, it’s easy to reset the time on a PC. There are actually three ways to change the time on a Windows system, and two of them have been around since Windows was still just a cool idea in Bill Gates’ head.
The oldest and most basic way to change the time on a PC is to use CMOS. As the system boots up, press the appropriate key(s) to enter CMOS setup. There are usually instructions at the bottom of the screen during bootup, but if you don’t know what keys your BIOS uses, try [DEL], [CTRL + ALT + ESC], or [F2].
Once you’re in CMOS setup, look for the time and date settings under “Standard CMOS Features” or a similar heading. Then simply reset the time or date as needed, save your changes, and exit CMOS setup.
The second method for changing a system’s time came along with DOS. On any DOS or Windows system, you can go to a command prompt, type time, and press [ENTER] to get a prompt to enter a new time. Similarly, you can type date at a command prompt and press [ENTER] to change the system date.
The most modern method for changing the system time on a Windows machine is the Date/Time applet, accessible from either the Control Panel or the System Tray. On the Date & Time tab of the Date/Time Properties dialog box, you can change both the system time and the system date. Note that you can also set a new time zone for your PC using the Time Zone tab; this comes in handy if, for example, you just moved from New York to New Delhi, and your computer’s clock is now nine and a half hours behind local time. When you’ve finished, simply click OK to apply the new settings.
With these methods at your disposal, you can reset the time and date of any Windows PC. Note that if the system keeps losing time after you’ve reset it, your CMOS battery is probably dying, and you should replace it. With a good battery, though, your PC should not only function properly, but also keep time like a finely made Swiss watch.