NTP

Configure time on server to sync with external time server(s)

Posted on by Imran Rashid
Reading Time: < 1 minute

The below was carried out on a Windows 2012 DC

Take a backup of W32Time Registry folder (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\W32Time) (Right click on the folder and export)

1) Launch regedit

2) Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
\W32Time\Parameters\Type

3) Click Type and then modify. Replace NT5DS with NTP and save

4) Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\W32Time\Config\AnnounceFlags

5) Modify AnnounceFlags key and replace 10 with 5, save

6) Enable NTPServer. To do this locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
\W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpServer

7) In the right pane, modify key Enabled and ensure value is set to 1

8) Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
\Services\W32Time\Parameters and locate NTPServer and replace time.windows.com,0x9 with your external time servers. 212.10.10.1,0×1 212.52.240.2,0×1 (Example shows two servers, one for backup.)

Save

8) Select the poll interval. To do this, locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\
W32Time\TimeProviders\NtpClient\SpecialPollInterval

9) Replace value 3600 with 900 (Recommended value which configures the time server to poll every 15 minutes)

10) Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\W32Time\Config\MaxPosPhaseCorrection

11) Amend key MaxPosPhaseCorrection, replace decimal 172800 with 3600 (which is 1 hour), save

12) Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\
Services\W32Time\Config\MaxNegPhaseCorrection

13) Modify key MaxNegPhaseCorrection and replace 172800 decimal with 2600 (which is 1 hour) save

14) At the command prompt type and run net stop w32time & then type net start w32time