Why is my computer clock slow, and how can I fix it?

Factual Questions
1

Currently my computer is 8 minutes slow. Every so often, I update the time, but it’s only a temporary fix. When I check the analog clock on the time display, it pauses occasionally, which I think is gthe root of the problem. Does anyone know how I can fix this?

2

More likely that’s a display issue, rather than an actual hiccup in the clock. If you have XP, you can have it automatically update the time when you’re online with the Boulder, CO atomic clock. If you have another operating system, you may also have this feature, or you can download any of several freeware apps which can do this as well. The real time clocks (RTCs) in PCs are notoriously inaccurate, and short of frequently resetting it, there’s little you can do. If it’s so bad that it’s all but unusable, you may be able to swap the CMOS (which contains the RTC), but this presents its own set of problems.

3

I have the opposite problem—mine gains 15-30 seconds per day. I use Atomic Time Sync every week or so to keep it in line. It could be set to run automatically at bootup, but the situation isn’t annoying enough.

4

It might also be time to replace the battery that controlls the CMOs on yout motherboard.

Wait, make that 8 MINUTES AGO was the time to replace the battery.

5

Does the whole computer pause at the same time? I had this happen to me once in Windows 98 after I installed the wrong video driver and tried to play a DVD.

Now that I have a new computer with XP, one of the weather radar sites causes my clock to speed up.

6

Check your system for viruses and spyware. Sometimes a bit of malware can get into your system and it steals cpu clock cycles without windows really being aware of it. This causes windows to sometimes miss a clock tick and lose time.

7

If the PC’s more than two or three years old, change the BIOS battery. Wacky time-keeping is about the only visible symptom of a failing battery. (The symptom of a failed battery, OTOH, is turning on the PC and getting a stark text display essentially saying “Who am I? Are you my mommy? Do you know where the hard drive is?”)

Aside from that, a personal computer is the most expensive, yet most inaccurate clock a normal person could ever hope to own.

8

Most expensive? YES
Most inaccurate? A resounding NO.
Mine is running XP on Cable ISP. Clock keeps consistent time day in, day out and checks against a small battery powered radio time signal from Boulder, CO.

9

I (and seemingly, much of the world) respectfully disagree:

That computer clocks are among the least accurate modern timepieces around is truly ironic.

As most of us know, PC clocks are not particularly good at keeping accurate time. Simple clocks like a wristwatch and most of the clocks in your home keep better time than a standard PC clock.

It is not unusual for an RTC to gain or lose several seconds or even minutes a day, and some of them – while still considered to be operating correctly by the manufacturer-- can be off by an hour or more after a week or two without correction.

Most computers use very imprecise timing circuitry for their clocks. A $10 watch will probably keep better time than your $1,000 computer.

Windows uses a tiny interval of precision called a hectonanosecond, (1/10th of a millisecond) for internal calculations, but externally, it rounds and only reveals the closest milllisecond. It’s up to the user to let Windows sync up to a standard such as nist.gov or their corporate NTP server to get accurate time.

10

WOW
That sure beats a Waltham Railroad Watch.

I’m sure you won’t be late to make connection with the next time machine that comes by. :rolleyes: