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Thread ID: 21472	2002-06-27 02:52:00	Father time	Smurf (506)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
57613	2002-06-27 02:52:00	This forum has had plenty of questions related to the clock on the task bar related to the need to replace the battery. However my problem is one where the clock keeps losing time (upto 45mins over two days) when the computer is never turned off. I am under the impression that the computer battery's function is to maintain the time when the machine is off and so my question is, "Why is it losing time when the machine is on?" Can anyone shed some light please? Smurf	Smurf (506)
57614	2002-06-27 03:30:00	While it would help a lot if you could share a little more with us, (like your version of windows, what apps you have running) I think the problem is with one or more factors. These are likely to be the Advanced Power Management setting and also may be influenced by Nortons antivirus. If the Operating System (typically Windows 95 and 98 were affected) misses interrupts due to activities of the aforementioned then time will lag. Typically also time will be correct at boot-up, as the CMOS clock is not affected, only the OS clock which receives its time at bootup from the CMOS one, or something similar. This issue is very old, and I am sure there is heaps on it on the MS knowledgebase or the net in general. If the above applies to you, turn off APM and try with Nortons disabled and see?	godfather (25)
57615	2002-06-27 03:32:00	ok.........this sounds like a problem written up on a recent langalist newsletter which I have pasted below. 3) "Weird Problem" Solved! In "Weird Problem" ( www.langa.com 09.htm#5 ) I wrote about a reader query that had me stumped: A PC's system clock was losing time for no obvious reason. I gave some general advice, and then asked if other readers might know better answers. I got a flood of email covering a wide range of issues--- some of which I'd never heard of, but many of which turned out to be exactly--- and I mean *exactly*--- right: See: support.dell.com It's called "Why does my computer lose time in the Microsoft Windows XP operating system?" I followed these instructions and it works OK. --- Richard Schrafel I recently purchased a new Dell and had the same problem. Searching Dell's support site I found a patch to cure the problem. Below is the only explanation on Dell's website, so I have no idea what the problem is or what the cure is. The patch did take care of my problem: "Description: Dell Time Keeping Utilty. Dell systems with factory installed Microsoft Windows XP Pro or Home may lose time. Time loss rate has been reported as high as a 20 minute loss per hour...." --- Randy Palmer In your newsletter today, a reader wrote about their clock being off with Windows XP. An interesting note is that Dell had a this problem with computers shipped with XP preinstalled. They have a patch at support.dell.com --- Yeager About Jonny Lieberman's BIOS timing problem He didn't indicate whether he had an OEM system or not, but I know that Dell offers an update for their Dimension 8200 systems that corrects a time problem. It can be found at ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/utility/time.exe .[Note: This is an alternate download location for the same file mentioned previously.] --- Eric Ellenberg Hi Fred, In regard to the weird problem in the latest newsletter, I had the same problem with my new Dell. I went through all the steps and found it to be the Windows system (XP Pro). Never found exactly what the problem was, but in my research I found other Dell users with the same problem. There happened to be a download fix on the Dell site. There was an instruction file and a batch file in the download. The batch file contains these commands: @echo off @cmd /c net stop w32time @cmd /c w32tm /unregister @cmd /c w32tm /unregister @cmd /c w32tm /register @cmd /c net start w32time I never really thought much about it after it fixed a very annoying problem, especially when I was late to pick up my kids one day. Looks like some type of registry problem. Anyway, I have attached the files. I am not sure if they apply to the case mentioned in the newsletter, but the problem he describes is exactly the same. --- Paul M Ruzicka Many readers also knew about a conflict between Dell's OEM installation of XP Pro and Norton Internet Security/Antivirus: This conflict also causes the clock to lose time. The fix is to update part of the Norton software via the link at service1.symantec.com . Others suggested this link, which gives an indication of how widespread clock problems are on the Dell 8200 line: www.google.com So the problem clearly seems to be with Dell system clocks. In fact, the only thing in the Microsoft KnowledgeBase that looked even vaguely similar was support.microsoft.com , dug up by reader "Dave S." But that problem is incredibly specific: The XP system-tray clock can jump by an hour under certain conditions "... if your original time zone was set to '(GMT-06:00) Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey.'" I sent all this info to Jonny Lieberman, the reader who originally had asked for help. He wrote back: Yep. It is a Dell. XP Pro pre-installed. About five months old. Plus my power supply is regulated. Plus, all three of my other machines have perfectly functioning clocks. None are Dells. One is a Frankenstein with XP Pro that I installed myself. 20 minutes an hour sounds exactly right. I'll start playing with the patches. And, your readers are amazing. What a group! -Jonny- I agree! There's probably no PC problem that you folks can't collectively solve. <g> Thanks to all who wrote in	dipstick01 (445)
57616	2002-06-27 03:32:00	More: If this is the same PC as you were having the mouse problems with, then the two are probably linked.	godfather (25)
57617	2002-06-27 05:09:00	Thank you dipstick and godfather for your help. I shall explore further. Sorry about the lack of info on my operating system....Windows 98SE running Norton's AV 2002. Cheers Smurf	Smurf (506)
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