Time synchronization is one of the most overlooked yet critical services in IT infrastructure. Accurate system clocks are essential for:

• Authentication: Kerberos in Active Directory fails if clocks differ by more than 5 minutes.
• Logging & Auditing: Event logs, SIEM tools, and forensic analysis depend on aligned timestamps.
• Transactions & Compliance: Banking, stock trading, and government IT systems require accurate timing.
• Network Security: SSL/TLS certificates, DNSSEC, and time-sensitive security tokens depend on proper time.

On Windows, the Windows Time Service (W32Time) is controlled and configured via the w32tm command-line tool.

This guide covers everything about w32tm, why it matters, and step-by-step examples for all use cases.

Why use samay1.nic.in and samay2.nic.in?

In India, the National Informatics Centre (NIC) operates two authoritative public NTP servers:

• samay1.nic.in
• samay2.nic.in

These servers are trusted sources, maintained by the Government of India, and ideal for organizations that must comply with Indian regulatory standards.

Key Commands in w32tm

The w32tm tool is structured into subcommands. Here’s the breakdown with usage examples.

1. Querying Time Information

A. Current Status

w32tm /query /status

Shows stratum, source, last sync, and offset.
Use when: You want to confirm whether the system is synchronized.

B. Current Source

w32tm /query /source

Shows the server you are currently syncing with (e.g., samay1.nic.in).
Use when: Verifying active sync source.

C. Full Configuration

w32tm /query /configuration /verbose

Lists registry settings and Group Policy applied.
Use when: Debugging why a server is not using your expected NTP configuration.

D. List Configured Peers

w32tm /query /peers

Displays NTP servers being used (samay1.nic.in, samay2.nic.in) with flags.
Use when: Checking if peers are correctly configured.

2. Configuring NTP Servers

A. Stand-alone Server (Workgroup)

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"samay1.nic.in,0x8 samay2.nic.in,0x8" /syncfromflags:MANUAL /update

Use when: Setting up a single server or workgroup machine to sync from official Indian NTP servers.

B. Domain Member

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:DOMHIER /update

Use when: Ensuring domain members sync from their domain controllers (not directly from the internet).

C. PDC Emulator (Domain Controller)

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"samay1.nic.in,0x8 samay2.nic.in,0x8" /syncfromflags:MANUAL /reliable:YES /update
w32tm /resync /rediscover

Use when: Configuring the PDC Emulator in the forest root domain to act as the reliable source.

D. Advanced Config (Spike detection, Local Dispersion)

w32tm /config /localclockdispersion:10 /largephaseoffset:300000 /update

Use when: Fine-tuning spike detection and accuracy assumptions.

3. Forcing Synchronization

A. Sync Immediately

w32tm /resync

Use when: Forcing immediate sync to your configured peer.

B. Rediscover Peers

w32tm /resync /rediscover

Use when: After changing domain controllers or network topology.

C. Remote Sync

w32tm /resync /computer:SERVER01

Use when: Remotely resyncing a machine.

4. Measuring Offset

A. Quick Offset Test

w32tm /stripchart /computer:samay1.nic.in /dataonly /samples:5

Use when: Checking drift in seconds between your machine and samay1.nic.in.

B. Packet Analysis

w32tm /stripchart /computer:samay2.nic.in /packetinfo /samples:3

Use when: Diagnosing deeper NTP packet behavior.

C. Continuous Sampling

w32tm /stripchart /computer:samay1.nic.in /period:1 /samples:30 /dataonly

Use when: Monitoring drift trends over short intervals.

5. Monitoring Multiple Machines

A. Scan Domain

w32tm /monitor

B. Monitor Specific Servers

w32tm /monitor /computers:DC01,APP01,DB01 /threads:5

Use when: Checking offsets across multiple servers simultaneously.

6. Service Lifecycle Management

A. Recreate Service Defaults

w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time

Use when: Repairing a corrupted Windows Time service.

B. Apply Changes Immediately

Always append:

/update

Use when: Applying config changes without restarting the service.

7. Time-Zone Information

Example

w32tm /tz

Use when: Checking system time-zone settings.

8. Registry and Debugging

A. Dump Registry

w32tm /dumpreg /subkey:Parameters

B. Enable Debugging

w32tm /debug /enable /file:"C:\Temp\w32time.log" /size:1048576 /entries:0-300

Later disable with:

w32tm /debug /disable

Use when: Troubleshooting intermittent sync failures.

9. Conversions

A. NT Time to Human Readable

w32tm /ntte 0x01DCE27C23B68000

B. NTP Time to Human Readable

w32tm /ntpte 0xE4D3D5C012345678

Use when: Analyzing raw logs or packet captures.

10. Leap Second Information

w32tm /leapseconds /getstatus /verbose

Use when: Checking leap-second table status.

Real-World Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Stand-alone server in India

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"samay1.nic.in,0x8 samay2.nic.in,0x8" /syncfromflags:MANUAL /update
w32tm /resync

Scenario 2: Active Directory setup

• On PDC Emulator:

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"samay1.nic.in,0x8 samay2.nic.in,0x8" /syncfromflags:MANUAL /reliable:YES /update
w32tm /resync /rediscover

• On other DCs and members:

w32tm /config /syncfromflags:DOMHIER /update
w32tm /resync /rediscover

Scenario 3: Troubleshooting offset

w32tm /stripchart /computer:samay1.nic.in /samples:30 /period:1 /dataonly

Best Practices

• Use samay1.nic.in and samay2.nic.in as your primary time servers in India.
• Configure only the PDC Emulator with external NTP; domain members should use domain hierarchy.
• Always configure at least two peers.
• Regularly validate sync using /query /status and /stripchart.
• Enable logging when investigating long-term drift issues.

Conclusion

The w32tm utility is a Swiss Army knife for time synchronization on Windows. By correctly configuring it with India’s official NIC servers (samay1.nic.in and samay2.nic.in), you ensure secure, reliable, and regulation-compliant time synchronization across your infrastructure.

Whether you’re managing a single PC or a large Active Directory forest, these commands cover every possible scenario for keeping your clocks accurate.