Cannot start Windows Time service


  1. Posts : 181
    64 bit Win 7 Ultimate
       #1

    Cannot start Windows Time service


    Hi
    I noticed my PC failed to update to daylight saving time. So I tried to synchronise the clock (CP->Date & Time->Internet Time but I got the message "Windows Time Service is not running."

    Into services and sure enough it is there but not started. Actions->Start produces a window that says "Windows could not start the Windows Time Service on Local Computer. Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified". (No idea which file!!!)

    Action->Properties tells me that the path to the executable is c:\windows\system32\svchost.exe -k LocalService and that file (svchost.exe) is certainly there.
    Startup type is automatic
    Start parameters are blank.

    w32tim /unregister works fine
    w32time /register produces (after a bit of a pause) "The following error occurred: The system cannot find the path specified. (0x80070003)"
    I wonder which path? Maybe that's the reason it cant find this unknown file?

    net start w32time produces
    The Windows Time service is starting.
    The Windows Time service could not be started.
    A system error has occurred.
    System error 2 has occurred.
    The system cannot find the file specified.

    So what file is it looking for? Why is it looking for it?
    Where is all this specified?

    Thanks for any ideas!

    Event viewer and Registry information follows


    The Event view reports service Contorl manager Event ID 7023
    The Windows Time service terminated with the following error:
    The system cannot find the file specified.
    and gives the following details information
    - System
    - Provider
    [ Name] Service Control Manager
    [ Guid] {555908d1-a6d7-4695-8e1e-26931d2012f4}
    [ EventSourceName] Service Control Manager
    - EventID 7023
    [ Qualifiers] 49152
    Version 0
    Level 2
    Task 0
    Opcode 0
    Keywords 0x8080000000000000
    - TimeCreated
    [ SystemTime] 2012-10-31T09:05:30.101583700Z
    EventRecordID 141164
    Correlation
    - Execution
    [ ProcessID] 460
    [ ThreadID] 5312

    Channel System
    Computer R60
    Security
    - EventData
    param1 Windows Time
    param2 %%2

    So maybe its this %%2 parameter? But where is this set? What should it be? etc etc

    The registry key entries for w32tim are
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\w32time]
    "Type"=dword:00000020
    "Start"=dword:00000002
    "ErrorControl"=dword:00000001
    "ImagePath"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,\
    74,00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,\
    00,76,00,63,00,68,00,6f,00,73,00,74,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,2d,00,\
    6b,00,20,00,4c,00,6f,00,63,00,61,00,6c,00,53,00,65,00,72,00,76,00,69,00,63,\
    00,65,00,00,00
    "DisplayName"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\w32time.dll,-200"
    "ObjectName"="NT AUTHORITY\\LocalService"
    "Description"="@%SystemRoot%\\system32\\w32time.dll,-201"
    "FailureActions"=hex:80,51,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,03,00,00,00,14,00,00,\
    00,01,00,00,00,60,ea,00,00,01,00,00,00,c0,d4,01,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
    "ServiceSidType"=dword:00000001
    "RequiredPrivileges"=hex(7):53,00,65,00,41,00,75,00,64,00,69,00,74,00,50,00,72,\
    00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,68,00,\
    61,00,6e,00,67,00,65,00,4e,00,6f,00,74,00,69,00,66,00,79,00,50,00,72,00,69,\
    00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,43,00,72,00,65,00,\
    61,00,74,00,65,00,47,00,6c,00,6f,00,62,00,61,00,6c,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,\
    00,69,00,6c,00,65,00,67,00,65,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,\
    65,00,6d,00,54,00,69,00,6d,00,65,00,50,00,72,00,69,00,76,00,69,00,6c,00,65,\
    00,67,00,65,00,00,00,00,00

    (I did try changing the display name to "Windows Time" but it made no difference.)
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 181
    64 bit Win 7 Ultimate
    Thread Starter
       #2

    So having tried a variety of things from various sources, none of which worked I resorted to a repair install. That worked fine and solved that problem but Windows Update then stopped working.

    seems this is something to do with KB982670 update to .Net4. My system had no record of that KB update but I deleted .NET4 anyway and Windows Update started working again
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 1
    Lincolnshire
       #3

    For anyone who arrives here from google, if you dont fancy doing a repair install, do the following:
    open a command window and run "net stop w32time" followed by "w32tm /unregister", "w32tm /register" and "net start w32time" and then
    "w32tm /resync".
      My Computer


 

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