Tech Forum

The MLS time bug has never been addressed but having a system clock that has drifted too far apart from the real world can cause various encryptions to fail and can trigger an OCD-based time reset which can generate the MLS problems. A couple of thoughts:

Windows 7 comes pre-configured to sync the time to the NNTP server every Sunday morning at 1:00am. For those units that leave their system on 24/7 this will keep the clock within a few seconds of realtime so nobody will feel a need to reset the clock manually and cause problems.

This pre-configuration is easy enough to change to a trigger at a different time. Many (most? all?) systems can be configured in the BIOS to turn themselves on at a specific time. If you set the MLS machine to turn on at 4:00am every Sunday morning the system will be able to download Windows and Sophos updates and sync the time before people are in the building and ready to go.

aclawson wrote:If you set the MLS machine to turn on at 4:00am every Sunday morning the system will be able to download Windows and Sophos updates and sync the time before people are in the building and ready to go.

What about those Sundays when you don't go into church (General Conference, weather conditions, etc.)?

Personally, I've never seen a PC drift more then 10-15 minutes without "help" or a dead battery. This method still works on Win7.

RussellHltn wrote:What about those Sundays when you don't go into church (General Conference, weather conditions, etc.)?

On those Sundays the system would turn on and nobody would use it.

This method still works on Win7.

This method works, but doesn't keep the clock in sync. You can remove the right and still use the autosync.

Also having the system power on and left on would result in higher electric bills which would waste tithe payer money. In general if Windows misses a scheduled time sync it will try it again at the next power on anyway.

aclawson wrote:On those Sundays the system would turn on and nobody would use it.

That's not good.

aclawson wrote:The MLS time bug has never been addressed but having a system clock that has drifted too far apart from the real world can cause various encryptions to fail and can trigger an OCD-based time reset which can generate the MLS problems.

How much error does it take to create a problem for MLS? I don't think I've seen one unless the date was off.

I'm now using the free, open-source NetTime on all of my home PC's. Get permission, install it, and set it to update every day, every hour, every few minutes, or whatever you like. Anytime the PC is running and has access to the Internet, it will update. You can even switch off the tray icon and make it virtually invisible.

Does the Windows 7 NTP client (I think they call it 'Internet Time') not work?