When Windows Time stops on a parent domain server that is the primary (authoritative) time source for your Microsoft Windows Server 2003 domain controller, your domain controller does not locate a new time source server.
This behavior will occur if all of the following are true:
- The domain controller that is experiencing this problem uses a server from a parent domain as a time source.
- The time source domain controller on the parent domain synchronizes with an external time source.
- Windows Time stops on the time source domain controller in the parent domain.
To work around this behavior, create a backup authoritative time source domain controller in the same domain as the authoritative time source domain controller:
1. Use the Registry Editor to navigate to the following key on the backup time server:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Parameters.
2. Set the Type Value Name, a string (REG_SZ) data type, to ALLSync.
3. Set the NtpServer Value Name, a string (REG_SZ) data type, to the same data value as on the primary time source server, except append ,0x2 to the string.
4. Stop and restart the W32Time service.
NOTE: See How do I configure the Windows 2000 time service to log when time is adjusted?
