Windows Server 2012 time keeps setting itself 12 minutes ahead

Question

Our Active Directory server has a problem whereby the time keeps setting itself 12 minutes ahead of the real time. This causes authentication issues on the network.

I have tried syncing to an external NTP service with the following:

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:pool.ntp.org /syncfromflags:MANUAL
stop-service w32time
start-service w32time

Then tried to set the time 12 minutes back. But within seconds it skipped 12 minutes ahead again.

I tried to unregister the service using:

w32tm /unregister

Then tried setting the time correctly but again it reverted to the incorrect setting.

Is there some way I can set the time without it changing itself?

Solution

First off pool.ntp.org is not a reccomended source for the Windows Time Service. See here: Active Directory Time Synchronisation - Time-Service Event ID 50

I am confused by your comment that this one server is off, but all the other ones are accurate, but you are using pool.ntp.org. In an Active Directory environment, the PDCe is the "root" time server that every other domain controller syncs against (and every member server and workstation syncs against the domain controllers). The PDCe should be configured to sync with an external time source via NTP. The PDCe should be the only server that syncs with an external source.

See here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/nepapfe/archive/2013/03/01/it-s-simple-time-configuration-in-active-directory.aspx

Note that if you are in an Active Directory environment, and everything is syncing from the PDCe as it should, then VMs should not be configured to sync their time with the physical host. If you have two things trying to correct the clock, they will fight each other.

Comments

[joeqwerty]

To clarify: Domain Controllers will sync with the PDCe. All other members will sync with their authenticating DC.

[myron-semack]

@joequerty Yeah that didn't come through too clearly in my original answer. Fixed. Thank you.