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Windows time, NTP and Kerberos clock skew

How time flows through an Active Directory domain, how to read w32tm output, and how to fix clock problems at their source instead of weakening Kerberos.

Level
Intermediate
Length
About 55 minutes
Contents
3 lessons · 1 video · final exam
Status
Published · updated 1 Oct 2026
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Skills you'll practise

  • Describe the domain time hierarchy and identify a misconfigured time source in it
  • Read w32tm /query /status, /source, /configuration and /stripchart output to measure and explain a clock problem
  • Fix a member's time source safely and verify Kerberos works again, without raising the domain's clock tolerance

Course outline

  1. 1.Windows time, NTP and Kerberos clock skewVideo · 6 min
  2. 2.How time flows through an Active Directory domainLesson · 14 min
  3. 3.Reading w32tm outputLesson · 14 min
  4. 4.Fixing clock problems at the sourceLesson · 13 min
  5. 5.Windows time, NTP and Kerberos clock skew: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 16 questions
  6. 6.Windows time, NTP and Kerberos clock skew: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
  7. 7.A whole branch can't open sharesScenario
  8. 8.Final exam6 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out

Sources it draws on

The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.

  • Microsoft Learn: How the Windows Time service works
  • Microsoft Learn: Windows Time service tools and settings
  • Microsoft Learn: Maximum tolerance for computer clock synchronization
  • RFC 5905: Network Time Protocol Version 4

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