Surface pro 3 loosing time?

Anonymous
2014-06-27T17:13:31+00:00

New SP3 i5.  System time starting loosing time by a few hours last night.  Did a hard reset and reset the PMU.  System time never got set correctly.  Even now, system time is drifting by 10 or 15 min.

Any ideas?

Matt

Surface | Surface Pro | Performance and maintenance

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2015-05-24T01:23:10+00:00

Try this:

  1. Type "schedule tasks" in search field of the windows start screen or via the charms menu and open it.
  2. Expand - Task Scheduler Library > Microsft > Windows and you'll see - Time Synchronization, almost at the bottom of this list.
  3. Double-click the task "SynchronizeTime" and go to the "triggers" tab.
  4. Click "New..."
  5. You will see a drop-down list next to the text that says "Begin the task:" at the top of the window. Select the option "At Startup" and click "OK" to save and close the trigger. You will now see your new trigger on the list within the task. Click "OK" to close the task.
  6. Close the task scheduler.

The system time SHOULD sync up at boot now and roughly fix this issue. There may be a delay while your machine connects to a network. Time sync may not work if your clock is off by a significant variance from the server.

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Anonymous
2014-12-24T19:00:50+00:00

Hi ThomasStrandjord,

Thank you for replying back. If doing a refresh does not help, please contact our assisted support for further assistance.

Best Wishes and Happy Holidays,

Clare

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Anonymous
2014-11-17T22:58:27+00:00

Hi Thomas,

Thank you for your response and answers to my questions.

Considering the fact that you have all updates installed and you have been seeing this issue since day 1, you might want to consider performing a refresh.

Note: Refreshing Surface reinstalls Windows and keeps your personal files, settings, apps that came installed on your Surface and those that you’ve installed from the Windows Store. You’ll need to reinstall desktop apps from the websites or from the discs that you used to install those apps. Before you refresh Surface, make sure you have access to product keys and installation files for desktop apps that you want to reinstall (for example, Microsoft Office).

Refresh from within Windows

Step 1: Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings.

(If you're using a mouse, point to the upper-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer down, click Settings.)

Step 2: Tap or click Change PC settings.

Step 3: Tap or click Update and recovery, and then tap or click Recovery.

Step 4: Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, tap or click Get started.

Step 5: Tap or click Next, ensure that your Surface is plugged in, and tap or click Refresh.

Surface restarts and the Surface logo displays while the refresh process completes (this can take several minutes).

Please let me know the results.

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Anonymous
2014-09-05T23:21:08+00:00

Hi sprucefir,

Thank you for visiting and posting in the Microsoft Community! We value the time you have taken to consult this issue with us. I understand the clock on your Surface Pro 3 is not acting normally. I can certainly see why this is confusing and concerning, taking into consideration, as you mention, that the Surface has had enough power throughout. I will do my best to assist and guide you in the right direction.

Please check the following:

  • Do you have all and latest Windows updates installed? This is very important! Please verify you do.
  • Does a full shut down and start allow the clock to return to accurate local time?  Have you tried adjusting the time manually?
  • Swipe for Charms> Settings> Change PC settings> Time and language> Date and time> Set time automatically> Off
  • What happens if you do not set the time to set automatically?  Does your manual correction of the time stay set?
  • Do you use any other Windows 8.1 devices with the Microsoft account associated to Surface?
  • Try un-syncing the OneDrive settings: Swipe for Charms> Settings> Change PC settings> OneDrive> Sync settings> Sync your settings on this PC> Off
  • Additionally, try holding down the "Volume UP" and the "Power Button" at the same time for about 15 to 20 seconds.  It should do a reboot and if no activity, release and 'click' the power button one time.

As a last step, even though you mention doing this, please make sure that you have checked the box next to: "Synchronize with an Internet time server". Here is how:

  1. From the Desktop menu select the time and date at the bottom right corner.
  2. Tap on Change date and time settings...
  3. Select the "Internet Time" tab.
  4. Select Change Settings.
  5. Check the box next to "Synchronize with an Internet time server".
  6. Select Update now.
  7. Then select OK and OK.
  8. You can also try a different server by synchronizing it with the time.nist.gov server (instead of time.windows.com) and then select****Update now.

If the issue persists after the previous steps, please consider performing a Refresh as shown in the article below:

If nothing helps, please contact Surface assisted support for further assistance.

We hope these steps prove useful! Keep us posted!

We are always here to help!

Best Wishes,

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-15T19:14:14+00:00

    I’ve also been having issues with the system clock after the machine wakes from long periods of sleep. I have not been able to resolve the issue and it is almost infuriating how regularly this happens. The only thing that works for me is to go into the Date and Time Settings whenever it happens (usually every morning) and manually update the time with one of the Internet servers. I plan to write a script/schedule a task that can at least automate this process when a network connection is available.

    Through my own research, I found out that the real issue is most likely a hardware design flaw that is not properly addressed by the power management in Windows 8.1 Pro. The flaw is that there is (likely, but can't confirm) no CMOS battery or other devoted hardware inside the Surface Pro 3 to keep the Real-Time-Clock (RTC) running in the event of main power loss. Instead, Windows 8.1 Pro maintains a software-based RTC, and somehow this stops working properly when the Surface Pro 3 goes into power-saving sleep mode.

    I don't know whose idea it was not to include some kind of devoted RTC hardware in the design of the Surface Pro 3, but in my opinion this is a serious oversight. Many, many things depend on the system time being correct: automatic software updates, version control of files, web-based scheduling services, real-time computing, etc. This is unacceptable for a device that is advertised as a “laptop replacement.”

    I am really hoping Windows 10 will address power management issues so that the RTC will at least keep running correctly until the battery dies completely.

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