# What's up with my clock?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 14, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023 "2002-06-14T12:36:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/1 "2002-06-14T12:36:15Z")

</div>

The clock on my computer had a habit of losing one hour for no apparent reason. Finally I decided to set it ahead one hour. Sure enough, after a while I noticed it was showing the correct time. Then after another while it was an hour slow. I just looked at it this morning, and it’s showing the correct time.

Why?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/2 "2002-06-14T12:48:27Z")

</div>

Possible the battery is worn down? (There is a separate battery that runs the clock, I am told.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/3 "2002-06-14T12:59:58Z")

</div>

Hmmm. OK, the usual: what’s your OS? In addition to Dex’s suggestion, that is.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/4 "2002-06-14T13:14:53Z")

</div>

**Dex** is probably right on.

However, if your clock is losing _exactly_ one hour, check to make sure that your computer is set to the right time zone.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/5 "2002-06-14T17:35:25Z")

</div>

Some PCs will reset to the network clock (if you are on a network).  
Use this utility below. It’s freeware and it’s the bomb!

[http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/index.html](http://www.thinkman.com/dimension4/index.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/6 "2002-06-14T20:26:27Z")

</div>

I’m so glad you included that ‘l’  
(well someone had to say it)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-my-clock/114023/7 "2002-06-14T21:23:42Z")

</div>

A lady at worked once complained that her PC would always be a day behind in the mornings, so she would set it to the correct day, and then later in the afternoon, it would suddenly be a day ahead. So she would again set it to the correct day, only to have it be a day behind the next morning.

She caught a lot of grief about that.