Event ID 16 — Manual Time Source Acquisition

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

An Active Directory forest has a predetermined time synchronization hierarchy. The Windows Time service (W32time) synchronizes time between computers within the hierarchy, with the most accurate reference clocks at the top. If more than one time source is configured on a computer, Windows Time uses Network Time Protocol (NTP) algorithms to select the best time source from the configured sources, based on the computer’s ability to synchronize with that time source. The Windows Time service acquires a time source peer from the domain heirarchy. By default, computers running the Windows Time service attempt to synchronize time only with a domain controller or a manually configured time source. Currently, the Windows Time service is synchronizing with a manually configured time source peer (as opposed to a time source peer from the domain hierarchy).

Event Details

Resolve

Address DNS issues

The computer running the Windows Time service client cannot locate the time source peer in Domain Name System (DNS). Confirm that the local computer can correctly resolve the name of the time source peer. Ensure that there are no typographical errors or name resolution errors. Resolve issues as necessary on the DNS Server service, and then resynchronize the client with the time source peer. Perform the following procedure on the computer that is logging the event to be resolved.

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

To resynchronize the client with time source peer:

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. The command output indicates whether the synchronization was successful.

To learn more about the Windows Time service and related tools, see Windows Time Service Tools and Settings (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=42984).

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. This command displays the status of the Windows Time service synchornization. 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 synchronized successfully with a time source peer, verify that Event ID 37 appears in Event Viewer. If there was a recovery from a previous failure to synchronize with the time source, you also see Event ID 137, which indicates that the Windows Time service is synchronized correctly.

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

Related Management Information

Manual Time Source Acquisition

Active Directory