JSI Tip 2337. You get an error when running the W32tm command on a domain controller?

When you use the W32tm command to test / maintain time synchronization in your enterprise, using the -v (verbose) switch on a domain controller will generate:

RPC to server -v returned 0x6ba.

Additionally, you may receive:

        W32Time: Server: Binding to 1 NIC.        W32Time: bind failed: 0x80072740        W32Time: 0xC0000031 reported to System Log in Event Viewer        W32Time: BEGIN:FinishCleanup        W32Time: BEGIN:TsUpTheThread        W32Time: END Line 1384        W32Time: BEGIN:UnInitializeDC        W32Time: Ptrs 0 - 0        W32Time: END:Line 725        W32Time: Time service stopped.        W32Time: END:Line 383

and the Event log may contain:

        Event Type: Error        Event Source: w32time        Event Category: None        Event ID: 49        Date: xx/xx/2000        Time: 10:49:44 AM        User: N/A        Computer: machinename        Description:        An unexpected error occurred while trying to start the server.        The port may already be in use.         Data:        0000: 00 00 00 00 .... 

The problem is caused by the command trying to start the time service, which is already runningon default port 123.

To workaround the problem, only use the following switches when running W32tm on a domain controller:

        -tz        -adj        -adjoff        -s

If you want to use other options on a DC, use the -p switch to change the port.

The W32tm command supports the following switches:

w32tm [ -tz | -s [computer] | -adj | -adjoff | -source | -once ]      [-test] [-v] [-p ] [-period ]    Primary options:    -tz       print the local time zone info and exit.    -s [] force the given computer (or the local computer if              none is given) to resynchronize, then exit.    -adj      set the computer's system clock frequency to the last              frequency determined during synchronization, then exit.    -adjoff   set the computer's system clock frequency the system              default, then exit    -source   choose a synchronization source, then exit. Note that a              source is chosen before each synchronization, so this is              useful only in showing that a source could be found.              Remember to use -v to see the output.    -once     do only one synchronization, then exit.    Otherwise, run continuously as a client, synchronizing the local              clock until ctrl-c is pressed.    The program will also run as a server any time the service    would (when it is on a DC, or when the registry flag is set).    The following options can be used in conjunction with the above:    -test     prevent the time on the local system from actually              being modified.    -v        print out a verbose description of what the program is              doing. This is usually needed since otherwise the              program produces no output. The exceptions are -s and -tz.    -p  set the server port.    -period  set the sync period just as in the registry. That is:              0 

once a day 65535

 once every 2 days              65534 

once every 3 days 65533

 once every week (7 days)              65532 

once every 45 min until we get 3 good syncs, then once every 8 hrs (3/day) 65531

 once every 45 min until we get 1 good sync, then                           once every day              Otherwise,  times per day.