How my Microsoft Windows OS syncing the time?

This is very short post with the procedure how to check time synchronization of Microsoft Windows OS in VMware virtual machine.

There are two options how time can be synchronized

1. via NTP 
2. via VMware Tools with ESXi host where VM is running 
   

The command w32tm /query /status shows the current configuration of time sync.

 Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.20348.2582]  
 (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.  
 C:\Users\david.pasek>w32tm /query /status  
 Leap Indicator: 0(no warning)  
 Stratum: 6 (secondary reference - syncd by (S)NTP)  
 Precision: -23 (119.209ns per tick)  
 Root Delay: 0.0204520s  
 Root Dispersion: 0.3495897s  
 ReferenceId: 0x644D010B (source IP: 10.77.1.11)  
 Last Successful Sync Time: 2/4/2025 10:14:10 AM  
 Source: DC02.example.com  
 Poll Interval: 7 (128s)  
 C:\Users\david.pasek>   

If Windows OS is connected to Active Directory (this is my case), it synchronize time with AD via NTP by default. This is visible in the output of command w32tm /query /status.

You are dependent on Active Directory Domain Controllers, therefore, the correct time in Active Directory Domain Controllers is crucial. I was blogging how to configure time in virtualized Active Directory Domain Controller back in 2011. Is is very old post but it still should work.

To check if VMware Tools are syncing time with ESXi host use following command

 C:\>"c:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Tools\VMwareToolboxCmd.exe" timesync status  
 Disabled  

VMware Tools time sync is disabled by default, which is the VMware best practice. It is highly recommended to not synchronize time with underlaying ESXi host and leverage NTP sync over network with trusted time provider. This will help you in case someone will make configuration mistake and time is not configured properly in particular ESXi.  

Hope you find this useful.