techtips
What Time Is It?

By Tim Moline

Does the clock on your Windows computer seem slow, even though you set it just the other day? World Time Server, a free Internet service, will automatically reset your computer’s clock so that it is always correct.

Windows XP comes with this feature already built in. To activate it, access the Control Panel, open the “Date and Time” icon, and click the tab marked “Internet Time.” Make sure that there is a check mark before “Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server.”

If you have another version of Windows, follow these instructions to download the program from the Web. Before you begin, create a “Downloads” folder if you don’t already have one. Save it to the “My Documents” folder on your desktop. Open your browser and go to www.worldtimeserver.com. On the menu bar, select “Atomic Clock Sync” and follow the links to download the program. The procedure described below may vary depending on your operating system.
  1. On the “File Download” screen, select “Save.” In the “Save As” dialog box, select your “Downloads”       folder and save the file there.
  2. Close all programs, including your browser. Open your “Downloads” folder.
  3. Double-click on the downloaded file and follow the instructions. Once the program is installed, you will       see a new icon on your desktop.

After installing the application, configure the downloaded file to automatically check your computer clock each time you log on to the Internet. To select this option, open the “Atomic Clock Sync” icon on your desktop, go to “File,” and make certain that the “Autosynchronize Daily” option is checked. If your system’s clock is off by more than 15 seconds, the program will automatically adjust it.

Play around with this program. In the long run, it will save you time!