Configure Windows NTP Client

This policy setting specifies a set of parameters for controlling the Windows NTP Client.

If you enable this policy setting, you can specify the following parameters for the Windows NTP Client.

If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the WIndows NTP Client uses the defaults of each of the following parameters.

NtpServer
The Domain Name System (DNS) name or IP address of an NTP time source. This value is in the form of ""dnsName,flags"" where ""flags"" is a hexadecimal bitmask of the flags for that host. For more information, see the NTP Client Group Policy Settings Associated with Windows Time section of the Windows Time Service Group Policy Settings. The default value is ""time.windows.com,0x09"".

Type
This value controls the authentication that W32time uses. The default value is NT5DS.

CrossSiteSyncFlags
This value, expressed as a bitmask, controls how W32time chooses time sources outside its own site. The possible values are 0, 1, and 2. Setting this value to 0 (None) indicates that the time client should not attempt to synchronize time outside its site. Setting this value to 1 (PdcOnly) indicates that only the computers that function as primary domain controller (PDC) emulator operations masters in other domains can be used as synchronization partners when the client has to synchronize time with a partner outside its own site. Setting a value of 2 (All) indicates that any synchronization partner can be used. This value is ignored if the NT5DS value is not set. The default value is 2 decimal (0x02 hexadecimal).

ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes
This value, expressed in minutes, controls how long W32time waits before it attempts to resolve a DNS name when a previous attempt failed. The default value is 15 minutes.

ResolvePeerBackoffMaxTimes
This value controls how many times W32time attempts to resolve a DNS name before the discovery process is restarted. Each time DNS name resolution fails, the amount of time to wait before the next attempt will be twice the previous amount. The default value is seven attempts.

SpecialPollInterval
This NTP client value, expressed in seconds, controls how often a manually configured time source is polled when the time source is configured to use a special polling interval. If the SpecialInterval flag is enabled on the NTPServer setting, the client uses the value that is set as the SpecialPollInterval, instead of the MinPollInterval and MaxPollInterval values, to determine how frequently to poll the time source. The default value is 3600 seconds (1 hour).

EventLogFlags
This value is a bitmask that controls events that may be logged to the System log in Event Viewer. Setting this value to 0x1 indicates that W32time will create an event whenever a time jump is detected. Setting this value to 0x2 indicates that W32time will create an event whenever a time source change is made. Because it is a bitmask value, setting 0x3 (the addition of 0x1 and 0x2) indicates that both time jumps and time source changes will be logged.

Supported on: At least Windows Server 2003 operating systems or Windows XP Professional

NtpServer

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\Parameters
Value NameNtpServer
Value TypeREG_SZ
Default Valuetime.windows.com,0x9
Type


  1. NoSync
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\Parameters
    Value NameType
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueNoSync
  2. NTP
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\Parameters
    Value NameType
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueNTP
  3. NT5DS
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\Parameters
    Value NameType
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueNT5DS
  4. AllSync
    Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\Parameters
    Value NameType
    Value TypeREG_SZ
    ValueAllSync

CrossSiteSyncFlags

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
Value NameCrossSiteSyncFlags
Value TypeREG_DWORD
Default Value2
Min Value
Max Value2
ResolvePeerBackoffMinutes

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
Value NameResolvePeerBackoffMinutes
Value TypeREG_DWORD
Default Value15
Min Value
Max Value
ResolvePeerBackoffMaxTimes

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
Value NameResolvePeerBackoffMaxTimes
Value TypeREG_DWORD
Default Value7
Min Value
Max Value
SpecialPollInterval

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
Value NameSpecialPollInterval
Value TypeREG_DWORD
Default Value3600
Min Value
Max Value4294967295
EventLogFlags

Registry HiveHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Registry PathSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\W32time\TimeProviders\NtpClient
Value NameEventLogFlags
Value TypeREG_DWORD
Default Value0
Min Value
Max Value3

w32time.admx

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