There are several reasons why your computer is displaying the wrong time. However, here are the most common ones. In most cases, your date and time issue can be easily fixed by changing the time zone on your system. However, the solution can vary according to the actual cause of the issue. Hence, you can try the following solutions until the problem gets fixed.
Check Your Time Zone
Most of the time, your computer time is wrong due to incorrect time zone settings. So you should check if it’s configured correctly. Here’s how you can check as well as rectify it. You can follow our article to set date and time automatically on other devices like Mac, iPhone, Xbox and AndroidTV.
Check if Windows Time Service Is Disabled
It could be the case that a Windows service called Windows Time which ensures date and time synchronization is not running. Here’s how you can start Windows Time service:
Switch the Internet Time Server
By default, Windows provides us with its own time server. However, you can switch to other servers or even add a public time server from open-source. Doing this will sync your PC to that particular server’s time. Here’s how you can switch it.
Configure Using W32time.exe
W32time.exe is a tool for troubleshooting the Windows Time Service settings. Running it forces your PC to resynchronize its clock as soon as possible. Here’s how you can use it.
Replace the CMOS Battery
The CMOS battery is mainly responsible for powering the BIOS firmware. However, if it is damaged or dead, it can reset the date and time settings, often leading to an earlier date and time. To fix this issue, you need to replace your CMOS battery. It is fairly easy, and you can do it yourselves. However, if you need some guidance, you can follow our article to replace the CMOS battery.
Scan and Remove Viruses or Malware
If your system has viruses or malware, those can also infect the system files responsible for maintaining the correct date and time. So, we suggest you run a reliable antivirus application and scan to detect any infected files in the system. Furthermore, it is even better to do it inside the safe mode. Your system will only access the essential files and device drivers in safe mode and even prevent viruses and malware from starting up. See if the date and time are restored correctly after removing them.
