Windows 11 Taskbar Time Incorrect

[AliG]

This one is making me scratch my head!

 

The ladies in the main office have been reporting in the last 2 weeks that after a while the time is incorrect on the taskbar. I have updated one of them from 22H2 to 23H2 but no difference. If you lock the computer, the correct time is displayed on the lock screen but log back in is still incorrect on the taskbar. I have figured out that if you restart explorer.exe it seems to fix it temporarily. I have tried updating the graphics driver to the latest version, but this is still puzzling me.

 

The computers are the correct time just explorer seems to be crashing.

 

Anyone experienced this or got any ideas?

[mavhc]

Incorrect by a whole number of hours? Time zone settings

[AliG]

No, its random. I have just spoken to one of them and her computer is still showing 11:16 this morning and it freezes the time maybe I didn't explain that very well.

[mavhc]

Consider replacing the button battery on the motherboard

[AliG]

No don't think so it's happening on more than one computer, and these are fairly new plus if you restart explorer.exe it updates the taskbar to the correct system time

[David44]

Consider replacing the button battery on the motherboard

 

It sounds like the computer is keeping the correct time, it's just Windows that is not updating the time in the task tray.

 

If it happens on multiple PCs in the same department, it's either because they use some software that no other department uses.

 

Or... it is happening in other departments but they haven't noticed or reported it because those users all have other sources of time available to them and don't rely on the Windows time to know when to go to lunch or home.

 

Purchase a wall clock for the main office and forget about it. Problem solved.

[mavhc]

Does the rest of explorer.exe work? or is it all hung?

[timbo343]

Download and run NetTime (https://www.timesynctool.com/). This will allow you to see if the machine can query the time server amd will give you a GUI interface to see if there are errors.

[robintech]

Does the NTP server work and is it using it, maybe restarting explorer makes it resync

invoke-command #computername# -Scriptblock {w32tm /query /status; w32tm /query /peers; w32tm /stripchart /computer:pool.ntp.org /samples:5 }
#or
w32tm /query /status
w32tm /query /peers
w32tm /stripchart /computer:pool.ntp.org /samples:5

[Koldov]

I think the OP stated that the actual 'computer' does know what the time is...

 

If you lock the computer, the correct time is displayed on the lock screen but log back in is still incorrect on the taskbar. I have figured out that if you restart explorer.exe it seems to fix it temporarily.

 

It seems the only issue is that the time isn't being displayed correctly on the taskbar.

 

I don't use Windows 11, but can you double click on the taskbar time and does it open out into the usual time/calendar pop-up?

 

A quick internet search does show a few results of people having the same problem (so at least you're not completely alone on this issue) but I haven't been through them. I know they've made a few changes to the clock in Windows 11 so maybe there's still a few bugs?

 

Is it actually completely random, or can you tie down those with specific hardware (or software as @David44 says) or in OUs with certain GPOs/XMLs applying?

Edited December 8, 2023 by Koldov

[AliG]

The rest of explorer seems to work ok you wouldn't notice a problem other than the time being frozen.

 

NTP is working correctly, the system time is correct, but the taskbar time freezes at some point and the only fix is to restart the computer or restart explorer.exe. I checked with the suggested Time Sync Tool and no issues in getting the correct time.

 

Some of the Google Foo suggested a problem with the display driver which I have updated.

 

The time is correct and bang on when you go to the lock screen.

[Bird97]

Had exactly the same issue only thing we've done is restart the PC would have to think its a windows issue that "should" get fixed in an update

[Oaktech]

Got a friend's PC that started doing this - did a repair upgrade and it fixed it.

[pingu]

Run this line in the cmd at admin level: w32tm /resync

[jonnykewell1]

Did anyone ever discover a permenant fix for this or is it just a Windows 11 bug that still hasn't been patched?

[jthompson]

If you set the taskbar to display seconds, does that have any effect on it? I'm wondering if that would make Explorer work a bit harder at telling the time.

[TFishwick]

I noticed this a few times.

Checked the computer's Bios clock and that was wrong. Set that right and it solved the problem

[bradymoritz]

Fought this for months with my desktop pc (that has a bit of age to it now). It seemed to keep happening more often, and then my power supply went out.

 

Installing a new power supply fixed the issue completely.

 

Seems it was related to the video card having some errors, and these were happening due to the psu not keeping up with the demands from the system.

 

Oddly specific issue to be caused from a bad psu but at least in my case, this was the problem!

[Brummytech]

HI - Has anyone got a model/brand that is having this, we have had this come back with some Stone desktops, laptops seem unaffected

 

Thanks

[Julian]

I have had this iisue with one computer, finally did a full rebuild of that machine, and that solved the problem.

[ImaGeek]

Happened to me tonight on Windows 10 -- also happened a couple of months ago.  My laptop is old, so who knows?

 

In any case, easy fix.

 

1. Open up the Task Manager (CTRL ALT DEL).

2. Make sure View in the menu bar doesn't have anything checked.  Sort by the name column.  Hit CTRL END to go the bottom.

3. Scroll up a few to the Windows Explorer process.

4. Right click and select Restart. 

 

That's it!  Gotta get my new laptop set up -- had it for a few months already.