Learn two simple methods to change the default time server in Windows 11 from time.windows.com to any custom time server.
By default, Windows 11 automatically sets the correct time and date using the time.windows.com time server over the internet. In general, you never need to think about which time server Windows is using, as in most cases, the time and date information it gets from that time server will be accurate. However, there may be times when the default server becomes unreliable, you need to use a specific time server for compliance, or you require higher accuracy. In those cases, you can modify Windows 11 to use a custom time server of your choice. Once you do that, the system uses that specific time server to get the time and date information.
In Windows 11, you can use two methods to change the time server. In this quick and easy guide, I will show both of these methods. Let’s get started.
Good to read: How to fix Windows 11 displaying the wrong time and date
Time Servers You Can Use in Windows 11
- pool.ntp.org
- time.nist.gov
- time.google.com
- time.cloudflare.com
- ntp.cisco.com
- ntp.meinberg.de
Change Time Server Using Settings
- Right-click the date and time on the taskbar.
- Select the “Adjust date and time” option.
- Click the “Sync now” option.
- Click the “Change” next to “Change time server”.
- Enter the time server address you want to use.
- Click “OK“.
- With that, you’ve changed the time server in Windows 11.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, we must open the date and time settings. To do that, right-click the date and time on the taskbar and select the “Adjust date and time” option. You can open this same page by opening the Settings app (Windows key + I) and going to the “Time & language” > “Date & time”.
On this page, scroll down to the “Additional settings” section and click the “Sync now” option (not the button.) Then, click the “Change” button next to “Change time server”.
The above action opens the “Add custom time server” dialog. Here, enter the time server address of your choice in the “Server address” field and click “OK“. If you don’t know which time server to use, take a look at the time server list under the “Time Servers You Can Use in Windows 11” above.
Finally, click the “Sync now” button to sync the time using the new time server.
Change Time Server Using Command Prompt
You can also modify the time server address using the Command Prompt. Here’s how:
- Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows” key.
- Search for “Command Prompt“.
- Select the “Run as administrator” option.
- Run the following command in the Command Prompt window.
w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:"time.server.url.com" /syncfromflags:manual /update - Don’t forget to replace “time.server.url.com” with the actual time server address.
- Once done, close the Command Prompt window.
With that, you’ve changed the time server in Windows 11 using Command Prompt. If necessary, you can force a time sync.
That is all. It is that simple to configure Windows 11 to use a different time server than time.windows.com. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
