System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

Bonner · 2009-04-13 10:41:40

Okay, i've been at this for a while now and i've had enough, all I want is the right time. Is that really too much to ask?
Here's what i've tried so far.

Installing NTPD: Didn't work
Installing OpenNTPD: Also didn't work
Using the date command: System simply 'fast-forwards' the time a few hours every time I reboot
Changing clock via Gnome: Same result as using the date command.
Googling endlessly: Turned up nothing that's solved the problem.
'hwclock' and 'date' both give different times, however both of them are wrong. ('date' is 1 hour ahead of hwclock)

The time section in my rc.conf:

LOCALE="en_GB.utf8"
HARDWARECLOCK="UTC"
USEDIRECTISA="no"
TIMEZONE="Europe/London"

Please, I just want my clock back ;_;

Cheers in advance for any help

Last edited by Bonner (2009-04-14 13:52:43)

FrozenFox · 2009-04-13 10:49:24

What is the time in your bios in relation to the real time? I had to fix that on all my machines before the software clock ever stuck to the right time, including tweaking my other os's to stop screwing it up

Last edited by FrozenFox (2009-04-13 10:49:39)

FeatherMonkey · 2009-04-13 10:54:47

You need to set the system clock then sync the hwclock.

Think this is correct might want to google a little but in my history I used this and solved it, after setting the correct time with the date command.

hwclock --systohc --utc

Bonner · 2009-04-13 11:03:24

FrozenFox wrote:

What is the time in your bios in relation to the real time? I had to fix that on all my machines before the software clock ever stuck to the right time, including tweaking my other os's to stop screwing it up

From what i've seen I don't have a BIOS clock. I had a snoop around in the settings and there's nothing referring to a clock. Crappy HP laptop BIOS for you.

Bonner · 2009-04-13 11:04:33

FeatherMonkey wrote:

You need to set the system clock then sync the hwclock.
Think this is correct might want to google a little but in my history I used this and solved it, after setting the correct time with the date command.

hwclock --systohc --utc

Didn't work. I set the time via the Date command, used the above command and rebooted to test if it would stick. When it started back up again the time had advanced by 2 hours 9 minutes.

FrozenFox · 2009-04-13 11:12:10

Hmm, very weird. You don't see anything about it perhaps in a cmos area? My sister's machine had it hidden away under there. After which, I needed to totally cold boot the machine and leave it off 10 sec, as it wasn't happy with me for changing it but the clocks were indeed perm fixed afterward. Scurred meh there for a minute too, considering -my- machine just needed a simple reboot, which it did automatically x_x

What kind of laptop is it anyway O.o
I don't think that will help solve this honestly, I'm just curious in case it does.

I'm afraid I'm out of ideas if the answer is no to the prior question, so I'll be off.

Last edited by FrozenFox (2009-04-13 11:16:41)

Bonner · 2009-04-13 11:16:07

FrozenFox wrote:

Hmm, very weird. You don't see anything about it perhaps in a cmos area? My sister's machine had it hidden away under there.
What kind of laptop is it anyway O.o
I don't think that will help solve this honestly, I'm just curious in case it does.
I'm afraid I'm out of ideas if the answer is no there.

It's a HP Compaq 6720s, i'll go have another dig around and see if I can find anything in the BIOS. Strangest thing is the clock was right at one point. I just started it up one day and it was wrong and it's resisted all attempts to correct it

FrozenFox · 2009-04-13 11:18:52

Bonner wrote:

I'm afraid I'm out of ideas if the answer is no there.
It's a HP Compaq 6720s, i'll go have another dig around and see if I can find anything in the BIOS. Strangest thing is the clock was right at one point. I just started it up one day and it was wrong and it's resisted all attempts to correct it

Hmm, I wonder if your cmos battery could possible be low / dying? Iirc, that handles keeping the time, and I've heard of it causing problems with the clock upon meeting its end. I may be wrong, but I think that's pretty much a simple watch battery, naturally considering what it's mostly used for.

Also, apologies for editing my bloody posts so much >< habit to remember tweaking things i've already written for clarity and extra content.

Last edited by FrozenFox (2009-04-13 11:20:57)

FeatherMonkey · 2009-04-13 13:52:20

Only thing I can think if is I used GMT not UTC I wonder whether I was struggling when using UTC. I suspect now I should be on BST but after my last foray with hwclock and date time I just fixed the time. I presume you set date as root.

Sorry I can't be clearer but I had exactly the same problem and kept trying finally getting it solved.

hwclock shows you the sysclock(Bios) date shows localtime I just know when they added up in root the problem had gone, also the timezones.

Last edited by FeatherMonkey (2009-04-13 13:53:32)

Mike65 · 2009-04-14 11:26:48

I had the same problem that Bonner has. Time always was wrong in linux (i have winXP dualboot). Then I realized that my /etc/ntp.conf file was empty. I have to delete it to upgrade ntp and after a reboot the time was right. But i don't understand why arch is set the hwclock every time i boot it, no matter if i setted it in the bios.

Bonner · 2009-04-14 13:52:22

Update: It now works. Don't ask me why. Out of desperation I re-installed OpenNTPD, for some unknown reason it decided to work this time even though I didn't do anything differently than last time around.

*Sighs*:rolleyes:

Oh well, at least it works now

jazz452 · 2009-04-30 16:24:13

Glad im not the only one with this problem.You think you have fixed it only for it go wrong again in a few days.
O and new battery.Works fine in windows and Ubuntu but not arch thing is i only use arch.

bernarcher · 2009-04-30 21:49:23

Does removing /var/lib/hwclock/adjtime help?

blum · 2009-05-21 07:34:33

bernarcher wrote:

Does removing /var/lib/hwclock/adjtime help?

For me yes, it did.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-04-13 10:41:40

System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#2 2009-04-13 10:49:24

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#3 2009-04-13 10:54:47

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#4 2009-04-13 11:03:24

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#5 2009-04-13 11:04:33

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#6 2009-04-13 11:12:10

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#7 2009-04-13 11:16:07

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#8 2009-04-13 11:18:52

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#9 2009-04-13 13:52:20

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#10 2009-04-14 11:26:48

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#11 2009-04-14 13:52:22

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#12 2009-04-30 16:24:13

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#13 2009-04-30 21:49:23

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

#14 2009-05-21 07:34:33

Re: System Clock Incorrect [SOLVED]

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