Windows Vista - Time Servers, Synchronisation and Time Zone Advice

It can be really annoying. You have just got offclock in the task bar (up to three).
the plane, booted up your lap top and set theTo enable multiple clocks to be displayed simply
clock to local time. Yet all your appointmentsdouble click on the time display in the system tray
suddenly move, not just the ones on that side of(bottom-right corner), click the' change date and
the ocean either, when you return home andtime settings tab' to bring up a date and time"
reset the clock the appointments refuse to godialog box, click Additional Clocks tab, tick the
back.check-box of Show this clock, select the
This problem occurs because of the way atime-zone of the clock, enter the display name
computer handles time. In general computersand click OK button.
ignore time zones and base their time on UTCNext time your mouse pointer goes over the
(Coordinated Universal Time) the international timesystem tray your new clock should be displayed
standard.besides the original (which should be larger).
Time can cause havoc with computers, not justThe clocks can also be placed on the Windows
with lap tops either. Computers all over the worldsidebar although this can use precious processing
need to be telling the same time particularly ifpower.
they have to perform time sensitive transactionsAnother useful application in Windows Vista is
or need to keep their networks secure.being able to synchronise the system clock with a
Most computer networks use NTP serversUTC time source.
(Network Time Protocol) to keep synchronized.Vista already comes equipped with a NTP service
NTP time servers use an UTC timing referencecalled Windows Time Service (w32tm.exe) which
either from the Internet or from a radio or GPScan synchronise to a UTC time source over the
transmission. A UTC timing reference originallyInternet. To do this merely double click on the
comes from an atomic clock and is as accurateclock in the system tray and await the Internet
as humanely possible.Time tab. Click it an enter the name of the UTC
When travelling abroad it is good advice NOT toserver you wish to connect to (such as
adjust the system clock as your computer (andwindows.time or nist.gov).
its associated programs such as Outlook) storesVista can handle daylight savings time too. If the
all time in UTC form and only offsets for asystem clock (the main one not additional ones) is
particular time zone (So in France the time isset to adjust for daylight saving then the
UTC+1 while in the US (EST) it becomes UTC-6.computer should automatically do it. However it
However there are several features on Windowsmust be noted that some countries in the same
Vista that can make keeping track of the time atime zone do not practice daylight saving hours so
lot easier for travelers.the correct time should always be double
To keep track of the time zone you are travellingchecked.
to, windows Vista can display more than one