Easy Steps To Change Time Zone on Windows 10 – OrcaCore

In this tutorial, we aim to guide you through the process of adjusting or changing the time zone on Windows 10, both automatically and manually. The term time zone can have multiple interpretations, but it most commonly refers to the local time of a specific region or country.

The local time within a time zone is determined by its offset (difference) from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which serves as the world’s time standard.

As you likely know, accurately setting the time zone is crucial for users who rely on various Windows services, especially those who provide or manage services on a network or Internet level. The correct time zone on Windows 10 ensures proper synchronization and scheduling.

Let’s explore the steps to adjust the time zone on Windows 10, following guidance provided by OrcaCore.

To begin, log in to your Windows 10 client machine and adhere to the steps outlined below. We will demonstrate how to adjust the time zone both automatically and manually.

1. Adjust Time Zone Windows 10 Automatically

To allow Windows 10 to automatically detect and set the correct time zone, follow these steps:

First, search for "Settings" in the Windows search bar and click to open the Settings app.

Next, click on "Time & Language."

Within the Time & Language settings, turn on the "Set time zone automatically" toggle.

Once this is enabled, Windows 10 will automatically adjust the time zone based on your detected location.

2. Adjust Time Zone Windows 10 Manually

You can manually change your time zone through the Settings app, Command Prompt (CMD), or PowerShell.

Change Time Zone From Settings

To change the time zone from Settings, follow the steps outlined above to access the Time & Language settings. Then, turn off the "Set time zone automatically" toggle. After disabling automatic time zone detection, use the "Time zone" drop-down menu to select the correct time zone.

Note: If you reside in a region that observes daylight saving time, ensure that the "Adjust for daylight saving time automatically" toggle is enabled.

Change the Time zone From PowerShell

Open PowerShell as an administrator by searching for "PowerShell" in the Start menu, right-clicking on the result, and selecting "Run as administrator."

To check your current time zone, execute the following command:

Get-TimeZone

**<mark>Example Output
</mark>**Id                         : Pacific Standard Time
DisplayName                : (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
StandardName               : Pacific Standard Time
DaylightName               : Pacific Daylight Time
BaseUtcOffset              : -08:00:00
SupportsDaylightSavingTime : True

To list all available time zones on Windows 10, use the following command:

Get-TimeZone -ListAvailable

After reviewing the list and identifying the desired time zone, use the Set-TimeZone command to change the Windows 10 time zone.

For example:

Set-TimeZone -Name “Canada Central Standard Time”

To confirm the change, run the Get-TimeZone command again:

Get-TimeZone

**<mark>Output</mark>**
Id                         : Canada Central Standard Time
DisplayName                : (UTC-06:00) Saskatchewan
StandardName               : Canada Central Standard Time
DaylightName               : Canada Central Daylight Time
BaseUtcOffset              : -06:00:00
SupportsDaylightSavingTime : False

Change Time Zone From CMD

Open Command Prompt as an administrator by searching for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu, right-clicking on the result, and selecting "Run as administrator."

To check the current time zone, execute the following command:

tzutil /g

**<mark>Example Output
</mark>**Canada Central Standard Time

To list the available time zones, use the following command:

tzutil /l

After identifying the desired time zone from the list, use the following command to set it:

For example:

tzutil /s "Line Islands Standard Time"

To verify the change, run the tzutil /g command again:

tzutil /g

**<mark>Output</mark>**
Line Islands Standard Time

That concludes the manual time zone adjustment using CMD.

Conclusion

A time zone on Windows 10 is a setting that defines the time your computer displays based on your geographical location. You have now learned how to change or adjust the time zone on Windows 10 automatically and manually.

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Alternative Solutions for Changing Time Zone on Windows 10

While the methods described above are effective, here are two alternative approaches for changing the time zone on Windows 10:

1. Using the Registry Editor

This method involves directly modifying the Windows Registry. This is a more advanced approach and should be undertaken with caution, as incorrect modifications to the registry can cause system instability. Always back up your registry before making changes.

Steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter.

2. Navigate to the following key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTimeZoneInformation

3. In the right pane, you will see several values related to the current time zone. The most relevant value is TimeZoneKeyName. This value stores the name of the current time zone.
4. To change the time zone, you need to find the corresponding registry key for the desired time zone and then update the TimeZoneKeyName value.

5. The time zone definitions are stored under the following key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionTime Zones

6. Browse through the subkeys under this key to find the desired time zone. Each subkey represents a time zone, and its name corresponds to the value you need to set in TimeZoneKeyName. For example, for "Pacific Standard Time," the key name is "Pacific Standard Time".
7. Once you have identified the desired time zone key name, double-click on the TimeZoneKeyName value under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlTimeZoneInformation and enter the correct name.
8. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Explanation:

The Registry Editor provides a direct way to modify the system’s time zone settings. By changing the TimeZoneKeyName value, you are effectively instructing Windows to use the settings defined under the corresponding time zone key in the Time Zones section of the registry. This method bypasses the GUI and provides a more granular control over the time zone settings.

2. Using NtpClient Settings via Registry

This method allows the computer to automatically update the clock using an internet time server. This also helps to maintain the clock’s accuracy over time.

Steps:

1. Open the Registry Editor by pressing Win + R, typing regedit, and pressing Enter.

2. Navigate to the following key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeParameters

3. In the right pane, double-click on the value named NtpServer. This value indicates which NTP servers the computer is using to synchronize time.

4. Change the value data to a list of NTP servers you wish to use, separated by spaces. Be sure to add ,0x8 to the end of the server’s address. A public NTP server such as pool.ntp.org,0x8 can be used.

5. Navigate to the following key:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetServicesW32TimeConfig

6. In the right pane, double-click on the value named UpdateInterval. This value indicates how often the computer attempts to sync with the NTP server. The value is in seconds. To sync every hour, set the value to 3600.

7. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and run the following commands:

w32tm /config /update
w32tm /resync

Explanation:

The Windows Time service uses the NtpServer registry value to determine which NTP servers to use for synchronization. Modifying this value allows you to specify custom NTP servers or use a public NTP server for time synchronization. The UpdateInterval registry value is modified to control how often the computer attempts to synchronize with the NTP server. The w32tm /config /update command updates the Windows Time service configuration and the w32tm /resync command forces the computer to immediately resynchronize with the specified NTP servers.