How to Fix Time Synchronization Failed Error in Windows 11

It is vital for your computer to have accurate time and date to be able to function properly. Inaccurate time may cause some apps to behave unexpectedly and interfere with critical functions of the operating system. In addition to that, files created on your system can also have degraded information and/or incorrect timestamps due to time desynchronization.

Typically Windows takes care of this by syncing the time with an Internet server using the Network Time Protocol (NTP). However, there can be instances when your system fails to do so. Fortunately, there are plenty of methods that can help you fix this problem on your Windows 11 PC.

1. Make Sure Time is Updated Automatically

Windows allows you to toggle the updation of time and date from automatically to manually. When you are facing a desync issue, the first and foremost step is to check if the settings are configured properly.

First, head to the Start Menu, and click on the ‘Settings’ icon.

After that, click on the ‘Time & language’ tab from the left sidebar.

Then, from the right section, click on the ‘Date & time’ tile to proceed.

Next, make sure you have enabled the toggle following the ‘Set time automatically’ option. Similarly, make sure the toggle for ‘Set time zone automatically’ is also enabled.

Afterward, click on the ‘Sync now’ button under the ‘Additional settings’ section.

If the issue was the improper configuration for time syncing, it should be resolved now. However, if the settings were already configured properly, head to the next method.

2. Use a Different Time Server

It could also be possible that your computer is unable to fetch the correct time from the server. Hence, changing the time server on your computer can resolve the issue on your PC. Do note that you will need to be logged in with an admin account to change this setting.

First, head to the Start Menu and click on the ‘Settings’ icon.

After that, click on the ‘Time & language’ tab from the sidebar to proceed.

Now, click on the ‘Date & time’ tile to continue.

Next, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click on the ‘Additional clocks’ tile. This will bring an overlay window to your screen.

From the overlay window, click on the ‘Internet time’ tab and then click on the ‘Change settings’ option. This will bring an additional window to your screen.

Afterward, click on the drop-down and select time.nist.gov and click on the ‘Update now’ button. The time should synchronize. Now, click on the ‘OK’ button to close the window.

3. Force Time Sync

In case you have been unsuccessful syncing the time using the usual options, you can also force sync the time on your computer using the Command Prompt.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Terminal to perform a search. Then, from the search results, right-click on the ‘Terminal’ tile and select the ‘Run as administrator’ option.

After that, a UAC (User Account Control) window will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button.

After that, click on the chevron (downward arrow) and click on the ‘Command Prompt’ option. This will open the Command Prompt in a new tab.

Now, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and execute them one by one.

NET STOP w32time

w32tm/unregister

w32tm/register

NET START w32time

w32tm/resync

Once you have executed all the commands successfully, restart your PC and check if the time desync issue has been resolved.

4. Restart Time Service

Just like any other process, Windows time is updated using the Windows Time service. Typically, the process runs automatically at the time of boot, however, it can experience interference with a third-party service or app. Hence, manually restarting it could also resolve the issue.

Head to the Start Menu and type Services to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Services’ tile to proceed.

After that, locate the ‘Windows Time’ option and double-click on it to open properties.

Now, click on the dropdown menu and select the ‘Automatic’ option. Afterward, click on the ‘Start’ button. Finally, click on the ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’ buttons to save the changes and close the window.

5. Run SFC Scan

SFC stands for System File Checker. If your PC has corrupted, damaged, or missing critical system files, the SFC will scan and restore them which may also be hampering your system’s ability to synchronize time.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Terminal to perform a search. Then, from the search results, right-click on the ‘Terminal’ tile and select the ‘Run as administrator’ option.

After that, a UAC (User Account Control) window will appear on your screen. If you are not logged in with an admin account, enter the credentials for one. Otherwise, click on the ‘Yes’ button.

Then, on the terminal window, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned command and hit Enter to execute it.

SFC /scannow

Once the scan is successfully completed, restart your PC and check if the issue still persists.

6. Edit Registry Files

Another method to resolve the time desync issue is by editing the registry files responsible for the process. Essentially, you will be increasing the time interval for the update.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Registry Editor to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Registry Editor’ tile. Or, press Win + R, then in the Run box, type regedit and press Enter.

Since the registries house the most critical and important settings as well as information for your operating system, it only makes sense to back them up before you perform any tweaks.

Thus, click on the ‘File’ option and select the ‘Export’ option.

After that, choose a location to save the file and click on the ‘All’ option. Give it an appropriate name and click on the ‘Save’ button.

After that, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned address in the address bar and hit Enter to navigate.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient

Afterward, double-click on the SpecialPollInterval file to edit its value.

After that, overwrite the existing value to 86400 and click on the ‘OK’ button to save the changes. Once done, restart your PC and check if the issue has been resolved.

7. Add More Time Servers

In case even tweaking the registry files did not resolve the problem for you, you can also try to add more time servers to your PC using the Registry Editor.

After that, create a backup to safeguard your files as showcased earlier in this guide. Then, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned addresses in the address bar and hit Enter to navigate to it.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DateTime\Servers

Now, right-click in the empty space and hover over the ‘New’ option and select the ‘String’ option from the menu.

Afterward, rename the file to 3 and double-click on it to proceed.

Then, enter a time server URL in the ‘Value data’ field. You can simply perform a search on Google to find one. Otherwise, type or copy+paste the below-mentioned one. Finally, click on the ‘OK’ button to save the changes. You can add as many servers as you wish in the Registry key.

time.google.com

Once you have added all the desired time servers, restart your PC and change the time server as shown previously in this guide and it should resolve the issue on your system.

8. Restore to a System Restore Point

One of the last resorts is to roll back to a system restore point given you have previously made one. In addition to that, if you have recently installed a third-party app or service that could also be the culprit behind the time de-sync issue.

First, head to the Start Menu and type Control to perform a search. Then, from the search results, click on the ‘Control Panel’ tile to proceed.

After that, locate and click on the ‘Recovery’ tile from the grid of icons.

Next, click on the ‘Open System Restore’ option from the list. This will open a separate window on your screen.

From the separately opened window, click on the ‘Next’ button.

All created system restore points will be listed on the screen. Click to select the desired one and then click on the ‘Next’ button to initiate the rolling back process.

Next, a list of drives that will be impacted by the rollback will be displayed, along with the timestamp of the restore point created. You can also check the programs that will be affected; click on the ‘Scan for the affected programs’ button. A new window will appear on the screen.

On the new window, you can view the programs that will be deleted and the ones that will be restored (since no programs will be affected on the test PC, the list in the following screenshot is empty). Once view, Click on the ‘Close’ button.