How a non-admin user change the computer’s date and time.

Have you ever gets an error message that says “You do not have the proper privilege level to change the system time.” when you try to change the computer’s date and time?

I get this error message after I connect my notebook to internet. The system time goes wrong. May be the problem is the computer’s time zone setting is wrong. So when the system tries to synchronize with one of time server out there while online, it gave the wrong time.

I tried to change the computer’s time back to local time when I’m offline.

1. I double click on the clock in the notification area of the taskbar. The first thing I do to change the computer’s time. But I get an error message that says “You do not have the proper privilege level to change the system time.”
2. Next I try double click on “date and time” in control panel. And s**t, the same error message comes again.
3. An alternative way to change the computer’s time is from command prompt. I use time (or date) command and input the correct time. Here I get different error that says “a required privilege is not held by the client.” F**k, is that meaning only an administrator and/or power user can do that?
4. Enough! I try to change it from BIOS. Then starting up windows again after I change the computer’s time from BIOS and… Yes it changes. It shows the correct time :)

The conclusion is as long as you have a full access to BIOS, you can change the system time event you are a non-admin user and don’t have privilege level to change the system time.

But I just change the computer’s time, not the time zone. So, the computer’s time must be wrong when I’m online again. Here I’ll share to you the real problem solving I found on Microsoft support and Aaron Margosis’ “non-admin” WebLog.

#1 Change the system time privilege.

For Windows XP Pro:

• Run “Local Security Settings” (as admin). In the left pane navigate to Security Settings|Local Policies|User Right Assignment.
• Double click on “Change the System time” and add users or groups. If you specify “INTERACTIVE”, it will allow whoever is logged on to the computer to change the date and time.

For Windows XP Home:

• You need to download NTRights.exe from the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools
• At command prompt type:

ntrights –u INTERACTIVE +r SeSystemtimePrivilege

if you don’t want whoever logged on to the computer able to change the date and time, replace “INTERACTIVE with a specific user name.

The changes need you to log off and back on to take effect. Now you can change the date and the time, but not the time zone.

#2 Change the permissions to change the time zone.

• Run registry editor (from start menu|Run|type regedit and hit enter)
• Goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation, right click on it and click Permissions from popup menu.
• Here the permissions you need: Query Value, Set Value, Create Subkey, Enumerate Subkeys, Notify, and Read Control.

You don’t need to log off and back on for the change to take effect.