VWware Workstation 7 - Setting different date in guest os?

Mr Davo

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Hi Everyone,

I have an interesting dilemma, at the moment I am trying to deliberately set a different date in my guest os to that of my host os.

My host is Windows 7 (x64), my guest is XP (SP3), and my virtualization software is VMware Workstation (7).

In an attempt to set this up I have done the following -

1). Added a line to the VMX file

VMX-Settings-for-time-changed.JPG


2). Booted into and modified the BIOS settings of the guest XP os (setting the date back in time to the 08/08/2008) -

Date-Changed-in-Host-Bios.JPG


3). Disabled the guest XP os internet time synchronization settings -

Host-Internet-Time-Scynchronization-Disabled.JPG


When I first boot into the XP guest I see the following date -

New-Host-Date-Lasts-About-5-Seconds.JPG


However after about 2 - 5 seconds the date is restored to that on the Host -

Host-Date-Quickly-Restored.JPG


If anybody knows how to set a different guest os date / time can you please share your method with me?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo
 

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Hi Everyone,

I have an interesting dilemma, at the moment I am trying to deliberately set a different date in my guest os to that of my host os.

My host is Windows 7 (x64), my guest is XP (SP3), and my virtualization software is VMware Workstation (7).

In an attempt to set this up I have done the following -

1). Added a line to the VMX file

VMX-Settings-for-time-changed.JPG


2). Booted into and modified the BIOS settings of the guest XP os (setting the date back in time to the 08/08/2008) -

Date-Changed-in-Host-Bios.JPG


3). Disabled the guest XP os internet time synchronization settings -

Host-Internet-Time-Scynchronization-Disabled.JPG


When I first boot into the XP guest I see the following date -

New-Host-Date-Lasts-About-5-Seconds.JPG


However after about 2 - 5 seconds the date is restored to that on the Host -

Host-Date-Quickly-Restored.JPG


If anybody knows how to set a different guest os date / time can you please share your method with me?

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Davo

Hi there
some applications automatically set the WINDOWS date -- the Bios date should be the same you set it in the Virtual Bios.

Check that you aren't doing any applications that set / re-set the date. Note also if you run things like Windows updates from within the VM the date *might* get set as well.

Check also the virtual machines configuration file (vmx) there might be a setting their as well.

In theory the date shouldn't change but who knows what some of this application software does these days -- especially the stupid trial and bloat ware stuff that only allows you x nr of days to run their wretched stuff on.

I think also within windows itself there is a facility to get the date from the internet rather than the bios. I'm almost positive that this exists somewhere.

I'm having a similar problem -- my VM clock in my windows 2003 server VM is always ahead of my local time -- and I can't seem to do anything about it either -- it's only +1hr so I'm not too bothered - just irritating.

Cheers
jimbo
 

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