Change the time on your computer (system clock in Windows 7)
When you first setup Windows 7 on your computer, you had to go through a wizard that, among other things, asked you to pick a time zone and the current local time. And, by default, Windows 7 will automatically adjust its system clock to match your regional Daylight Saving Time settings. So, in practical terms, you will rarely have to adjust your system clock, unless you travel, for example, in which case you'll probably want to change your clock to adjust to the local time (a separate tutorial explains how to prevent Windows 7 from automatically adjusting its time).
Adjust the time in the system clock
Follow these steps to change the clock's time on your PC:
Right-click on the system clock in the taskbar, and choose "Adjust Date/time" from the context menu.- Windows 7 will open the "Date And Time" dialog: Click on the "Change Date And Time" button (you may have to supply the computer Administrator's password to modify date and time settings).
- In the Date and Time Settings dialog that launched, notice that the time is indicated in an editable text field below the real time clock: the hours, minutes, and seconds in the current time text field are individually editable: click on the portion of the time you want to change, and either type a new value, or use the arrow buttons to add or remove hours, minutes, or seconds to the clock.
Tip: if you want to know the exact current time in your time zone, just go to the www.Time.gov website and pick your time zone. This is the official US time, synchronized with the atomic clock in Boulder, CO. The time precision of an atomic clock may be overkill, but at least you'll know exactly what time it is in your area! For the exact time outside the US, please see the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) website and select your country / time zone: GreenwichMeanTime.com.
- Once you have change the Windows 7 clock's time to match the precise time for your area, click on the OK button to accept the new time and return to Windows.
- Windows 7 will now use the new time, and keep it accurate, unless you have a very long power outage (computers include an internal battery that recharges and ensures that the system clock stays on time even when your PC is turned off - laptops obviously have the same feature).
Caveat - You can change the time as often as you want or need, but keep in mind the following: when you save or edit files on your computer, the timestamp showing when the file was created or last edited will use the system clock: this means that if you change your time one way, a file may look like it was created or edited in the future, and likewise, if you move your clock back the other way, it may look like a file is older or more recent than is actually the case!
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