Internet time gone potty?

[#1]

Hi folks,
Noticed that my desktop (Dell OptiPlex GX110/XP Pro SP3) and laptop HP dv6/Win 7 SP1) have ceased to synchronise their clocks to Internet Time during the last week or so. Checked www.time.windows.com and the server could not find it. Is this peculiar to me or something others will have discovered?

[#2]

I don.t know about your problem but I think the time server you were trying to contact is time.windows.com (no www).  I ran a sync just now and it worked fine.  Have you tried an alternative time server?

[#3]

I just use ntp.plus.net. local and quick.

[#4]

Change your computer clock batteries ?
Do they lose time when switched off / unplugged from mains ?

[#5]

@ R. R
OK My fault in address, Windows in both cases indicate that the updates should come from the title you gave. It did not say www. but I assumed it. I did not know that an alternative time server was about. M$ evidently think that the one indicated was OK.
@PlusComUK.
Batteries should be OK, one not very old and Lappy only 6 months from new. Unlikely that both would fail at the same time, which is odd. Both systems are running a bit fast but not the same, the lappy said that it had corrected but did display a 20 minute error.   I have an MSF clock here which used to agree with both computers.
@HB
Can I assume that an alternative source like yours can be inserted into the Date & Time thingy to use?

[#6]

Just had a look at mine (Date & Time Settings, Internet time) and it said 'this computer is set to automatically synchronize with 'time.windows.com'', below that it said something about failed to synchronize with time.windows.com due to time out so I clicked on 'change settings' and selected the next server down the list, that failed also, selected the next one again and that worked, set it back to time.windows.com and it worked. I have now typed in 'ntp.plus.net' and that's working just fine.

[#7]

Be aware if you use any PN server to get a time, more than likely it will be out of sync by an hour at the change over for summer/winter time, as they take ages to make that change.

[#8]

So do I!!!  it takes me weeks to synchronise properly!
I thought all NTP servers used UTC and timezone / daylight saving were applied locally?

[#9]

Quote from: Gus

Be aware if you use any PN server to get a time, more than likely it will be out of sync by an hour at the change over for summer/winter time, as they take ages to make that change.

That's strange, the last 2 winter / summertimes have been correct within a few minutes after the 1am change for me, on Plusnet
Less than 12 minutes after 1am  back in October

Quote from: PlusComUK

Quote from: PlusComUK Just received this email, at the correct time after clock reset back one hour I'm going to edit this post before I posted it ! Edited at 01:04 PN Clock HAS updated

[#10]

My iMac gets it's time from Apple Europe (time.euro.apple.com), and it's always spot on, and changes over immediately at Summer / Winter time change.

[#11]

I always use the 'ntp.org' servers to synchronise my home network's NTP time server, and then all my PCs are directed at that.
The 'ntp.org' website homepage
The NTP server details for the UK
Instructions on how to use the 'ntp.org' NTP servers for Linux and Windows

[#12]

I use a small, free application called AboutTime which pings the ntp server first to calculate the comms delay, then corrects the ntp response to take the network delay into account.  It's configurable to allow a choice of ntp servers and also the frequency of the update. 

[#13]

Having started this thread, I must report that all has become OK. I guess that "time.windows" had a glitch as experienced by some. So sorry that I spoke, but it was educational to see what others have done...thanks.