W32Time does not synchronize time with any time source

Issue:

W32Time (Windows NTP Client) does not synchronize time with any time source.  No error messages are displayed.  No W32time event messages are recorded.

 

Cause:

The Windows NTP Client has been disabled via Group Policy.

 

Solution:

Open the group policy and go to

Computer Configuration…Administrative Templates…System…Windows Time Service…Time Providers

Change “Enable Windows NTP Client” to Enabled.

 

More information:

When W32Time is working normally an event is placed in the System Event log every time a time synchronization is attempted.

 

Event ID: 35

The time service is now synchronizing the system time with the time source server.domain.com (ntp.d|10.1.1.1:123->10.2.2.2:123).

 

When the Windows NTP Client (W32Time) is disabled these messages are not placed in the event log.  Starting and stopping the Window Time Service (W32Time) will always result in an event being written to the system event log unless the Windows NTP Client has been disabled via Group Policy.