date and time frozen on desktop

[cousinlucky]

It is Feb. 12, 2009 and it is 5:37PM here in New York City. My desktop however says it is Nov 2, 2009 and the time is 10:38PM.

If I use yast it shows the correct time as 5:37PM and the correct date as Feb. 12, 2009.

Is there a way to fix this, please?

[gogalthorp]

try right click the clock be sure your format and time zone is right.

[D-cat]

I have a slightly different approach, in a terminal:

dcat@linux:/> su
Password: (root's Password - no echo)
linux:/ # ntpdate time-b.nist.gov
12 Feb 23:44:48 ntpdate[6508]: step time server 129.6.15.29 offset 46.535598 sec
linux:/ # hwclock --systohc
linux:/ # exit
exit
dcat@linux:/>

ntpdate (if installed, available in Yast) will grab a time off the internet from the specified server.

hwclock "solidifies" the date and time in the CMOS (or retrieves it from, depending on usage). Once running hwclock --systohc , usually the status bar updates to the correct time within one minute (unless the time zone is off, it sometimes sets to UTC (London), date is still correct and fixing the time zone isn't hard).

[cousinlucky]

Gogalthorp, I can right click the clock and then click adjust date and time and apply the new correct settings but the wrong stuff still appears on my desktop.

D-cat I tried your instructions ( even though using the terminal makes me very nervous ) and the correct date now appears on my desktop but the time is still 5 hours fast. It is as if something/ someone else has control of my computer's desktop because I can not change what appears there.

Another weird turn of computer events for me. Maybe it is window's revenge for being erased from my hard drive..

Thank You!

[devils casper]

I am sure UTC is creating problems. I am not a SuSe user and I don't know how to disable it in SuSe.
May be D-cat and gogalthorp can help you in this.

[cousinlucky]

There is a little box that enables local time or UTC. However no matter what I set it or the time for and apply those changes; they do not take affect on my desktop.

The date and time are correct now on my root desktop but the time is five hours ahead on my user desktop. How can that be?

I found a new checked UTC box in the preferences and unchecked it and my computer is in harmony with the world now and I have a few more gray hairs.

[gogalthorp]

Be sure the desktop widget is set to the right timezone also. It sounds like it is using Greenwich time rather than New York time.

Here is the thing the hardware clock can be set to local time or GM time. Windows assumes it is set to local so if you dual boot you need to tell Linux the hardware is local time. Normally in Unix's the hardware is assumed GM. As a rule Linux only reads the hardware (system) clock at startup and there after counts the seconds itself.

In any case you need to know if the system clock is set to local time or GM time and tell the Linux clock which. Then you need to know which time zone and tell the desktop clock which so it can make any needed adjustments.

[devils casper]

I found a new checked UTC box in the preferences and unchecked it and my computer is in harmony with the world now and I have a few more gray hairs.

It means UTC was the real culprit. I assume that problem has been sorted out.

[D-cat]

User desktop is still set to UTC... try right-clicking on the clock, Show Timezone -> (Local or America/New York).

[cousinlucky]

Thank You, everyone! My desktop's date and time are correct now.