How to change the time on your computer

On Windows, right-click the clock at the bottom-right of the screen and choose Adjust date and time. Turn on Set time automatically and click Sync now to fix the time, or turn it off and click Change to set it yourself.

Windows 11

Right-click the clock on the taskbar and choose Adjust date and time. Or open Settings → Time & language → Date & time.
To fix the time: turn on Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically, then under Additional settings click Sync now.
To set it yourself: turn off Set time automatically, then next to Set the date and time manually click Change, enter the date and time and click Change again.
To change the time zone: turn off Set time zone automatically and choose one from the Time zone list. Keep Adjust for daylight saving time automatically on.

Windows 10

Right-click the taskbar clock and choose Adjust date/time, or open Settings → Time & Language → Date & time.
Turn on Set time automatically, then click Sync now under Synchronize your clock.
To set the time yourself, turn off Set time automatically and click Change.
Choose your zone from the Time zone list.

Mac

Open the Apple menu → System Settings → General → Date & Time.
Turn on Set time and date automatically to keep it in sync, or turn it off and enter the date and time.
For the time zone, turn on Set time zone automatically using your current location or choose the closest city.

Computer clock keeps going wrong?

Wrong by exactly an hour or more: the time zone is wrong, or daylight saving time adjustment is off. Check both in Date & time.
Sync now fails: check your internet connection and try again. You can also open the classic settings: press Windows + R, type timedate.cpl, go to Internet Time → Change settings and click Update now.
Time is wrong every time you start the computer: the small battery on the motherboard that keeps the clock running while the computer is off (the CMOS battery) may be running down. It is a cheap part to replace on most desktops.
Windows and Linux on the same computer: the two systems read the hardware clock differently, so the time can be off by several hours after switching. Turning on automatic time in both, or setting Linux to use local time, fixes it.
For advanced users: make sure the Windows Time service is running (press Windows + R, type services.msc), or run w32tm /resync in a Command Prompt opened as administrator.

Want seconds on the taskbar clock? See how to show seconds on the Windows 11 clock.

Check that it worked

Open the online clock on the device. It compares the device clock with internet time servers and tells you if it is off, and by how much.

Questions people ask

How do I change the time on my computer?

On Windows, right-click the taskbar clock and choose Adjust date and time. Turn off Set time automatically and click Change to set it, or leave it on and click Sync now to correct it.

How do I sync my computer clock with internet time?

In Settings, Time & language, Date & time, turn on Set time automatically and click Sync now.

Why is my computer clock wrong?

Usually the time zone is wrong, automatic time is off, or the computer could not reach a time server. If it is wrong every time you turn it on, the CMOS battery may be weak.

How do I change the time zone on Windows 11?

Open Settings, Time & language, Date & time, turn off Set time zone automatically and choose a zone from the Time zone list.

How do I change the time on a Mac?

Open System Settings, General, Date & Time. Turn off Set time and date automatically to enter a time yourself.

Sources

Last updated October 24, 2026. Menu names can differ slightly between versions. Found a step that's changed? Tell us.