Windows: The current time on this computer and the current time
Attempting to login to a member server, I received the following error:The current time on this computer and the current time on the network are different. For more information about Date/Time Properties, see Help and Support. To log on, contact your system administrator.
I love error messages that tell me to refer to myself. Anyways, the Date/Time on this particular server is controlled via Group Policy and updates to a local NTP server. The time on that machine was reporting properly, as were all other machines within the domain. After fighting the 1U out of its home in the rack and connecting a CDROM, I booted with the "Offline NT Password & Registry Editor CD" and reset the admin password. Once logged in, I saw that the time was set a full month ahead. I can only assume a Domain Admin accidentally clicked a month ahead in the calendar and rather than clicking Cancel, clicked Ok.
I attempted to change the Date/Time using a couple different methods:
- Control Panel -> Date/Time
- Start -> Run, "cmd /k date"
- Right-click time in bottom right corner -> Adjust Date/Time
Event Type: Error
Event Source: W32Time
Event Category: None
Event ID: 34
Date: 19/12/2006
Time: 8:26:31 PM
User: N/A
Computer: FOO
Description:
The time service has detected that the system time needs to be changed by -2591999 seconds. The time service will not change the system time by more than -54000 seconds. Verify that your time and time zone are correct, and that the time source 1.2.3.4 (ntp.m|0x0|1.2.3.5:123->1.2.3.4:123) is working properly.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
I was not able to do any "runas" commands since Kerberos wouldn't allow authentication - the time was too far ahead! So, I did what any good sysadmin would do - I got a coffee and went home. I figured the answer would come to me eventually, and it did later that evening as I was laying in bed. It was so simple! Reset the damned time through the BIOS! I picked up my phone and had one of the support drones reboot and reset the time. Sure enough, disaster had been averted.
