Keeping Your PC's Clock Correct

Introduction

If you have arrived here, I hope I don't have to convince you that having your PC keep the correct time is a "Good Thing™". If you have any doubts see: "Why would you want to do that ?" on the Linux Time Server page "Keeping Correct Time on Small Networks".

It is so easy to do, I am almost embarassed to be writing these instructions. On the other hand, everything I have found on the Web makes it too complicated & difficult. Maybe you heard the one about the techie who, if you ask what time it is, will tell how to build a watch. Some of the the major web sites are worse: You just want to know how to set your clock and they start with a discussion of "What is Time."

The Solution

Download & install SymmTime™ 2004 from Symmetricom:

http://www.symmttm.com/download_symmtime_access.asp

Your PC clock is now automatically synchronized to "the most accurate time available" (according to their help file… :-).

You are Done.

And by the way, you also have a pretty 4 zone clock display.

An Alternate Download Location(s)

If you really object to giving them the personal data they will ask for (Name, e-mail, Company, State, Country), try this:

depending on which version of the program you want. This is about SymmTime™ 2004, I haven't tried either of the others yet.

Installation Reminders

Save the installer in an appropriate place, scan it for malware, & run.

In Win NT, 2k, XP make sure you do this as an Administrator. If you are running as a regular user, as you should be, <Shift>+Right Click or <Shift>+<Application Key> will bring bring up a special version of the Application menu that has "Run as" as the 2nd choice (Win 2k). Choose this, and you can run the installer as Administrator without having to log out of your user account.

The installer is the standard InstallShield Wizard you have seen so many times before. When you get to the "Choose Shortcut Locations", I suggest that you use the defaults, especially #'s 1 & 3.

If you are installing to multiple PC's on the same network, copy the install program from the first to the rest, there is no need to download more than once.

Notes

Close the clock display if you like, it is not essential to the automatic sync'ing.
Do not close the System Tray icon, your clock will not be sync'ed anymore.
The "hammer" icon in the lower right corner of the clock display brings up the display options menu.
Right click the the System Tray icon for the program menu, including help.
There are other ways to do this, see the Linux Time Server page: "Keeping Correct Time on Small Networks"..
I recommend this method because this program can use a local time server if you install one.
See the Linux Time Server page.
Yes XP has a built in time facility, but how easy is it to point it at your own server? \
Thanks to "Modem Bob" of HAL-PC tech support for remindig me to mention this

-- RickArchibald - 02 Jul 2004

Topic KeepingYourPCsClockCorrect . { Edit | Attach | 5B%5EA-Za-z%5D">Ref-By | Printable | Diffs | r1.4 | > | r1.3 | > | r1.2 | More }

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