AD Time Service causing problems

[HeleneP]

We have a native 2k server enviroment running AD. However, several users need to alter the dates (backwards) on their machines to run validation and test scripts to simulate activity over certain periods of time up to the present. The time synchronisation feature means that periodically the time on their machines reverts back to current thus crashing their automated scripts. They also can't log on if the time / date on their machines does not match the AD.

Does anyone have any idea how I can bypass this problem.

 

[Davetoo]

Try turning off the Windows Time service on the specified workstations.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[iolair]

I, too, am having time synch problems. I wasn't aware that you could actually turn this off. Can you tell me how you turn off the Windows Time Service? I'm using all kinds of clients - Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows XP Pro.

Thanks,
Iolair MacWalter

 

[HeleneP]

Hi. Thanks for the reply. We have tried this but after a while or when you try to log back in it says invalid system time and won't let you either access n/w resources or log back in. We need some systems to have 'incorrect' dates for several days while these scripts are running. Stopping the time service just seems to stop the AD resetting the workstation time back to normal so you get an error instead.

Any other ideas? Please.

 

[mlichstein]

This is not possible on on active directory domain, unless you modify the kerberos settings in the default domain policy.

The default maximum tolerance for time sync is 5 minutes.

 

[HeleneP]

Can you explain the ramifications of modifying or stopping the kerberos. From what I've read it looks as though I'd be making the system quite vulnerable.