Event ID 28 — Local Time Synchronization

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

The Windows Time service (W32time) synchronizes local time with a time source. The Windows Time service on a domain controller can be configured as either a reliable or an unreliable time source. The Windows Time service running on a client will attempt to synchronize its time source with servers that are indicated as being reliable. The Windows Time service can configure a domain controller within its domain as a reliable time source, and it synchronizes itself periodically with this source.

Event Details

Resolve

Confirm time peer configuration

The configuration of the time source (also known as the time provider) is not valid, or the time source is no longer accessible. Check the time source configuration, and configure a different time source, if necessary. Perform the following procedures on the computer that is logging the event to be resolved.

To perform these procedures, you must have membership in Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To configure a different time source:

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator. To open a command prompt as an administrator, click Start. In Start Search, type Command Prompt. At the top of the Start menu, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
2. At the command prompt, type w32tm /resync /rediscover, and then press ENTER.
3. To verify that the time source name and address are correct, at the command prompt, type w32tm /query /source, and then press ENTER. If the name is not correct, type a valid time source name and address. If the name is correct, check for network connectivity issues, and then verify that the time source is functioning correctly.
4. To configure a new time source, at the command prompt, type w32tm /config, and then press ENTER. For complete command syntax, at the command prompt, type w32tm /?, and then press ENTER.

If the previous steps do not resolve the issue, restart the Windows Time service.

To restart the Windows Time service:

1. Click Start. In Start Search, type services.msc, and then press ENTER. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue. The Services snap-in opens.
2. In the list of services, right-click Windows Time service, and then click Restart.

If restarting the Windows Time service does not resolve the issue, restart the computer.

Verify

To perform this procedure, you must have membership in Administrators, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

To verify that the Windows Time service is synchronizing correctly:

1. Open a command prompt as an administrator. To open a command prompt as an administrator, click Start. In Start Search, type Command Prompt. At the top of the Start menu, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue.
2. At the command prompt, type W32TM /resync, and then press ENTER.
3. At the command prompt, type W32TM /query /status, and then press ENTER. The command displays the status of the Windows Time service synchronization. The Last Successful Sync Time line of the output displays the date and time that you ran the W32TM /resync command in the previous step. Also, check the computer name that is shown as the Source. This should be the name of a domain controller (or administrator-configured time server).

To confirm that the Windows Time service was synchronized successfully with its time source when you ran the W32TM /resync command, verify that Event ID 35 appears in the Event Viewer.

For more information about the Windows Time service, see Windows Time Service Technical Reference (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=25393).

Related Management Information

Local Time Synchronization

Active Directory