Windows 11 Clock Shows the Wrong Time How to Fix It

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Windows 11 Clock Shows the Wrong Time How to Fix It

The clock on your taskbar is an hour off, a few minutes wrong, or back to a date years ago every time you start the PC. A wrong clock is more than a nuisance: secure websites, email and sign-ins check the time, so it can also cause certificate errors ("Your clock is ahead" or "Your clock is behind" in Chrome) and failed logins. Here's how to find the cause and fix it.

Which Problem Do You Have?

Off by exactly one or more hours: time zone or daylight saving setting - Steps 1 and 2.
Off by a few minutes, getting worse: time sync isn't working - Steps 3 and 4.
Reset to an old date after a shutdown: CMOS battery - Step 6.
Wrong only after using Linux on the same PC: dual-boot clock setting - Step 5.

Step 1: Turn On Automatic Time and Check the Time Zone

Open Settings > Time & language > Date & time.
Turn on Set time automatically.
Check Time zone. If Set time zone automatically is on and picks the wrong zone, turn it off and choose your time zone from the list yourself.

Automatic time zone relies on location services. If location is turned off in Settings > Privacy & security > Location, pick the zone by hand.

Step 2: Check Daylight Saving Time

On the same page, make sure Adjust for daylight saving time automatically is on (it's only shown for time zones that use daylight saving time). When it's off, the clock is one hour out for half the year.

Step 3: Sync the Clock Now

On Settings > Time & language > Date & time, under Additional settings, select Sync now. Windows shows the time server it used (usually time.windows.com) and when the last sync happened.

If the sync fails, check that the PC is online. Some work and school networks block the public time server and provide their own; in that case, contact the IT team.

Step 4: Restart the Windows Time Service

The Windows Time service keeps the clock in sync. If it's stopped, the clock drifts.

Press Win + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
Find Windows Time, right-click it and choose Properties.
Set Startup type to Automatic, select Start if it isn't running, then OK.

You can also do it from the command line. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin) and run:

net start w32time
w32tm /resync

If w32tm /resync says the computer did not resync because no time data was available, wait a minute and run it again, or use Sync now in Settings.

Step 5: Dual-Boot With Linux?

Windows stores local time in the PC's hardware clock, while most Linux systems store UTC. Switching between them moves the Windows clock by your time zone offset each time. The usual fix is on the Linux side: set it to use local time (on systemd-based distributions, timedatectl set-local-rtc 1). Check your distribution's documentation before changing it.

Step 6: Clock Resets After Shutdown - the CMOS Battery

A small coin battery on the motherboard (the CMOS or RTC battery) keeps the clock running while the PC is off. When it goes flat, the date falls back to an old date - often the BIOS release date - every time the power is removed.

Signs of a flat battery:

The date is wrong mainly after the PC was unplugged or the laptop battery ran flat.
BIOS settings (boot order, fan settings) reset at the same time.

On most desktops the battery is a standard coin cell (often a CR2032) and easy to swap with the PC unplugged. On laptops it's usually inside the case and sometimes soldered - let a technician replace it. In the meantime, automatic sync (Steps 1-4) corrects the clock once Windows is online.

Step 7: Wrong Time Keeps Coming Back?

Check for malware. Some unwanted software changes system settings. Run a full scan - see how to remove malware from Windows.
Check apps that change the time. Some old games, trial-reset tools and "time changer" utilities set the clock back. Uninstall them.
Work PC? Company PCs often take their time from the organization's server through policy, and the settings may be greyed out. Ask your IT team.

Still Wrong?

If the clock is still wrong after all of this, check the date and time in the BIOS/UEFI setup - see how to enter BIOS or UEFI settings in Windows 11. If it is wrong there too and resets after every power cut, the CMOS battery or the motherboard needs attention.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why is my Windows 11 clock exactly one or more hours off?

The time zone is wrong, or daylight saving time is turned off. Open Settings > Time & language > Date & time and check the time zone and the daylight saving switch.

How do I force Windows 11 to sync the time?

Open Settings > Time & language > Date & time and select Sync now. From an administrator Terminal you can also run w32tm /resync.

Why does my PC clock reset every time I turn it on?

If the date jumps back to an old date after the PC was unplugged, the small CMOS battery on the motherboard is likely flat. Replacing it is cheap, but on laptops it is best done by a technician.

Can a wrong clock stop websites from loading?

Yes. Secure websites check the date, so a wrong clock can cause certificate errors such as 'Your clock is ahead' or 'Your clock is behind' in Chrome. Fix the time and reload the page.