Linux Mint 16 Mate

[Jimbo22]

I have Linux Mint 16 Mate installed on a separate HDD. When booting up (using the F12 method to select HDD) into Linux I see the correct time. When I'm done in Linux and go back into windows my time is off by 5 hours, ahead by 5 hours. It's off in the BIOS as well in the OS. Go into the BIOS change it or change it in the OS, then go back into Linux and then go back into windows, the process repeats itself. It's just a big pain having to correct my time when I go from Linux to Windows every time.

 

[kemical]

Like i said on skype if it's changing in the bios then chances are your bios battery is failing. Knowing your motherboard as i do, that battery is probably 5yrs old although can't remember exactly when i got the board but it was some years ago.

 

[Fixer1234]

If it was the battery, the change would not always be exactly 5 hours. Bassfisher, if you are on EST, I'll bet what is changing is your clock is being reset to GMT.

Edit to clarify: My point is only to reduce the randomness and provide a possible clue. It's not likely a "random" 5 hr difference. GMT is a universal standard and something is resetting the clock to that standard. The fix might be as simple as entering your time zone somewhere.

 

[Jimbo22]

That was my thinking as well if it was the battery. The key is the 5 hours and I've set the time zone in windows and in Mint....and it still happens. If I could narrow it down to a location of the data input as the cause I'd be getting some where. I've been over and over it and I can't find any thing out of the ordinary.

 

[Jimbo22]

Windows uses UTC and my UTC time is set to: UTC Eastern Time (US & Canada) in Mint it use GMT Eastern Time.

 

[Fixer1234]

A work-around might be to set the time zone in Mint off 5 hours in the other direction.

Edit: If you still get the problem after this work-around, it means Mint is ignoring the time zone and using GMT.

 

[Fixer1234]

Another thought: there is a second device or program that is ignoring the system clock settings and checking on its own (and requires its own time zone setting).

One more idea: it could be related to the clock battery. The clock does not normally get an outside reset. You set the time and the battery maintains it. If the clock battery is weak, it might be triggering a reset, which might not reflect the time zone you've set in the system.

 

[kemical]

Isn't the clock battery and bios battery the same thing?

 

[Jimbo22]

It's the only battery I know of on a mobo.

 

[Fixer1234]

nevermind.

 

[kemical]

Jim just borrow a battery out of one of the kids pc's, change it over (if you do it quick enough you won't have to reset the bios) and see if the issue stops.

 

[Fixer1234]

Agree. If the battery is anywhere near 5 years old, you should replace it anyway, even if that's not the cause of the problem.

 

[Trouble]

My own personal experience with realtime clock / CMOS batteries when developing problems, is that usually it is not normally only the time that is impacted but also the date.
And also usually a simple warm reboot from one operating system to another does not show up as impacting the system clock at all as it never really falls onto the battery to maintain anything.
The consistent resetting with the 5 hour discrepancy is most unusual.
I would wonder if anything is noticed regarding the time if the OS(s) is / are not changed during the reboot. Just rebooting into the same one, does that have any impact on the time settings??

 

[Jimbo22]

Damn...all my PC's are well over the 5 year mark including the 2 custom builds. Can you find CMOS batteries locally. Or are there special type for specific brands of PC's and mobo's.

I guess I better replace the lot of them....damn.

 

[Jimbo22]

The time difference is only happening in windows....rebooting/restarting/cold startup in Mint...the time is fine. If I cold start up first thing in the morning to windows the time is fine....just going back and forth....windows time is all ways off. I can't figure it out.

 

[Trouble]

So a cold start without issue regarding the system time might suggest that there is not a problem with the battery. although replacing one is not usually a problem and can be found practically anywhere they sell watch batteries. I've bought them at Walmart, Radio Shack, even Walgreens.
Do I understand that going from Linux to Windows messes with the time, but going from Windows to Linux does not show any adverse effect??
Makes me want to setup a test and see if I can duplicate it.

 

[Jimbo22]

Do I understand that going from Linux to Windows messes with the time, but going from Windows to Linux does not show any adverse effect

Yes that is correct....it's what I can't figure out.

 

[Jimbo22]

The only guess I have is; I'm using an old ATA drive connected to the IDE slot. I wonder if that may have a bearing on it....it shouldn't, I wouldn't think so.

 

[Fixer1234]

Any chance it's as simple as this: Linux properly converts UTC time to GMT time and knows to do it. Windows either doesn't properly convert GMT time to UTC time or doesn't know to do it after running Linux?

 

[Fixer1234]

You are not alone:
http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...k-jumps-ahead-5-hours-after-dual-booting.html

See last post for solution.