Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

aye5882

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 13, 2006
68
0
does anyone know how to automatically change the clock back to the right time after being in windows (from bootcamp, not parallels). i need to be in windows to run a couple of programs... but whenver i get back on osx, the time is always 4hrs behind... when i click on the clock setup menu, the time goes back to normal. but its annoying.

any info is welcomed!
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
FWIW,

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303572#faq1
Why is the time different between Mac OS X and Windows XP on my computer?

This issue is addressed in Boot Camp Beta 1.1.

With earlier versions of Boot Camp Beta, the Windows XP and Mac OS X operating systems handle your computer's date and time information differently, so the date and time may be different when you switch operating systems. For best results, use a network time server and resync the date and time whenever you switch operating systems. In Mac OS X, use the “Set date & time automatically” option in the Date & Time preferences. In Windows XP, click the Update Now button in the “Date and Time Properties” control panel.
 

SRSound

macrumors 6502
Jun 7, 2005
489
0
I have the same problem - would be curious to see any suggestions (other then going into the date&time preferences panel)
 

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,566
does anyone know how to automatically change the clock back to the right time after being in windows (from bootcamp, not parallels). i need to be in windows to run a couple of programs... but whenver i get back on osx, the time is always 4hrs behind... when i click on the clock setup menu, the time goes back to normal. but its annoying.

any info is welcomed!

You might check what time zone MacOS X and Windows think they are in. If they think they are in different time zones (MacOS X thinks it is in New York, Windows thinks it is in Seattle), that might cause problems.
 

crazzyeddie

macrumors 68030
Dec 7, 2002
2,792
1
Florida, USA
The problem probably results from how OS X/Windows store the time in BIOS/EFI... But I haven't found a solution, and I doubt there will be one. If you only use Windows for games or something like that, then time doesn't matter. If you want it to auto-correct itself make sure you turn on the time lookup in both OS X and Windows.
 

aristobrat

macrumors G5
Oct 14, 2005
12,292
1,403
My guess is that each OS changes the hardware clock differently. The way that OS X leaves it isn't read correctly by Windows, and vice-versa.
 

topgunn

macrumors 68000
Nov 5, 2004
1,557
2,062
Houston
Mac OS expects the time in EFI/BIOS to be universal time while Windows expects it to be local time. Basically, Mac OS is adjusting the time for your time zone while Windows thinks that the time shouldn't need to be adjusted, hence the difference.

The lastest version of Boot Camp (drivers CD) includes a small app that corrects the time when you boot into Windows. I believe it is called Windows Time. You can see it in HKLM->Software->Microsoft->Windows->Current Version->Run.

I actually have fewer problems with Windows having the correct time than Mac OS. Windows always corrects itself within a few minutes of starting up. Sometimes, on the Mac side, I have to open the Date & Time properties at which point the time corrects itself.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.