© 2002 Naissan Innovations, LLC. All rights reserved.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  1. How come AtomTime always sets my clock off by an hour (or some increment)?
  2. In Windows Vista, when I try to adjust the time it gives an error, 'Unable to set system clock'?
  3. Why does the Time Server window report a time hours different than the Local PC time, but yet the difference is only a few seconds? I think I need a time server in my time zone!
  4. The license key you sent me doesn't work!?
  5. I'm registered so why am I receiving messages telling me my trial period has expired!?
  6. When I perform a time check, why do I receive an error message that says my connection is blocked (or unknown error 10050)?
  7. What is the proper way to upgrade the AtomTime software?
  8. AtomTime98 sometimes reports "Time format not supported" even though I'm using the default servers?
  9. Why AtomTime doesn't work at my company?
  10. Does AtomTime support proxy servers that require a username and password?
  11. What is a proxy server? What is proxy authorization or proxy authentication?
  12. When I click on the X on the upper right corner, the application doesn't close!?
  13. I changed some setting and now when I start AtomTime it seems to do something then exit. How can I fix this?
  14. Does Atomtime work with Windows NT? Windows Vista? Etc.
  15. Can I run AtomTime as a service on Windows NT/2000?
  16. Isn't AtomTime freeware?


  1. How come AtomTime always sets my clock off by an hour (or some increment)?
    You have one of these problems:
    1. Your Windows Date/Time settings have the wrong time zone or daylight savings time setting. Click here for instructions on how to check your time zone settings. This is the most common error.
    2. You live in the United States and have not installed recent daylight savings (DST) updates from Microsoft. In 2007, new daylight savings periods went into effect. Microsoft has updates available for most Windows platforms.
        Visit their web site: Daylight Savings time Help and Support Center
    3. You are using a time zone that Microsoft did not implement correctly. Microsoft provides a program called TZEDIT that will allow you to edit the time zone settings. Click here or search Microsoft's web site for TZEDIT.
    4. You are using a proxy server and have specified proxy port 13. This is wrong. Port 13 is the daytime port for the proxy server (which means you get the proxy server's time, not the Atomic Clock site). Correct the proxy port number.
    These scenarios really should solve your problem. AtomTime Pro with the default Atomic Clock time servers and time zone settings properly defined should work correctly, regardless of where in the world you live.

  2. In Windows Vista, when I try to adjust the time it gives an error, 'Unable to set system clock'?
    In Windows Vista, administrator privilege is required in order to change the system time. Therefore, you must run AtomTime as Administrator. To enable this:
    Note: If you have User Account Control (UAC) turned on (it is by default), Windows Vista will prompt you to confirm running the program as administrator. You can remove those prompts by either turning off UAC (not recommended), or by turning off the administrator elevation prompt in the Local Security Policy.

  3. Why does the Time Server window report a time hours different than the Local PC time, but yet the difference is only a few seconds? I think I need a time server in my time zone!
    Most true clock servers, like the Atomic Clock in Boulder, CO, report their time in UTC/GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). By default, AtomTime displays the actual server time. AtomTime takes into account the GMT timing and uses your time zone settings to calculate the time difference. If you'd like to see the times reported in local time, change the
    Display settings in AtomTime. Also, verify that your Windows Time Zone is set correctly (see question above).

  4. The license key you sent me doesn't work!?
    This is usually the simple matter of the license data not being entered incorrectly.
    • The most common problem is with the license key value -- please note that any 0's in the license key are zeroes, not the letter O, and any 1's in the license key are ones, not the letter L.
    • It is also important that the license name be entered exactly as it was registered.

    For AtomTime98, you will get four pieces:
    • license key (hexadecimal number)
    • name (the name it is registered to)
    • date (the date of the license key)
    • license type (single user or site license)
    You must enter/set all four pieces. In most cases, people are simply not setting the date.
    AtomTime98 Example:

    Note: AtomTime Pro uses a more simplified licensing system, with only a license key and name required.

  5. I'm registered so why am I receiving messages telling me my trial period has expired!?
    There are a couple of reasons you could be receiving this message:
    • You have not yet entered your registration data into the AtomTime settings.
    • Your Windows system registry (where the AtomTime license data and settings are saved) has been damaged or replaced.
    • You may have lost your previous registration data from your hard drive due to hard drive failure or upgrades in operating systems.
    • With AtomTime98 only: You entered the license data under one user profile, but are now running the software under a different profile (usually on a Windows NT/2000/XP system).
    In all of the above cases, you simply need to re-enter your license data into the AtomTime settings. To do so, start AtomTime, click on the Settings button then click on the
    License tab.
    Note: We strongly recommend that you keep a printed copy of your registration letter for possible future reference.

  6. When I perform a time check, why do I receive an error message that says my connection is blocked (or unknown error 10050)?
    The most common reason for connection problems is using AtomTime behind firewall software or a proxy server. Most companies/corporate environments uses a firewall/proxy server to protect their local network from outside intruders. In addition, many home users now run firewall software like ZoneAlarm. By default, a lot of these firewalls block TCP port 13, the port AtomTime uses to receive the time value from the time server.

    Some steps to try to resolve the connection problems:

    1. If using a program like ZoneAlarm, check that software and have it allow AtomTime connections.
    2. Fill in the Proxy Server settings in AtomTime. Your network adminstrator should be able to help here, otherwise look in your web browser settings for the correct proxy server settings, specifically the settings for HTTP.
    3. If you use Internet Explorer (not Netscape, it won't work for this test), try this exact URL:   http://time-a.nist.gov:13/
      It should return a timestamp. If it does not, talk to your network adminstrator and show them that URL. Explain that you'd like TCP port 13 opened so that the time value can be retrieved.
    4. Try defining your own set of time servers, using port 37 as the time port.

  7. What is the proper way to upgrade the AtomTime software?
    Step 1: Uninstall the old version of AtomTime (you'll find the Uninstall item in the AtomTime group on your Start menu).
    Step 2: Download the new version of AtomTime.
    Step 3: Run the new version to install it.

  8. AtomTime98 sometimes reports "Time format not supported" even though I'm using the default servers?
    This message was only displayed in versions prior to v2.1. Please
    download the latest version of AtomTime.

  9. Why AtomTime doesn't work at my company?
    Most likely, you are running behind a proxy server. A proxy server filters TCP/IP traffic, only allowing certain requests to proceed. AtomTime uses port 13 (daytime port) to gather its statistics. Luckily, AtomTime contains support for nearly all of proxy servers on the market. (Some proxy server are configured by default to block port 13.) Consult with your System/Network Administrator for your correct proxy server values, then configure them in the AtomTime
    Proxy Server settings.

  10. Does AtomTime support proxy servers that require a username and password?
    Yes. It should prompt you for a username and password as long as you have configured your proxy server settings. Click
    here for notes on the Proxy Server settings.

  11. What is a proxy server? What is proxy authorization or proxy authentication
    A proxy server acts as a security agent, allowing only authorized requests to pass through a firewall. Most work environments use a proxy server of one form or another. Proxy authorization or proxy authentication is when an application is forced to use a username/password combination to gain access to the proxy server. You'll know if you have this beast if you have to enter a special username/password each time to start an Internet application like Netscape or Internet Explorer. Again, its only something you'd find in a work enviroment (usually).
    Note: Services like America Online or Earthlink do NOT use a proxy server nor do they require proxy authorization.

  12. When I click on the X on the upper right corner, the application doesn't close!?
    You have enabled an
    Update Interval option which means AtomTime is now running in the background. You should notice an AtomTime icon in the System Tray area. When using one of the Update Interval settings, the X button simply closes the display but leaves the application running in the System Tray. (Try the volume control System Tray application -- it works the same way.) If you want to exit AtomTime, either click on the Exit button or right click on the System Tray icon and pick Exit from the menu.

  13. I changed some setting and now when I start AtomTime it seems to do something then exit. How can I fix this?
    You have most likely turned the
    Update Interval setting to Once and Exit. With this feature enabled, AtomTime will simply start up in the background, perform a time check, update the clock and immediately exit. To turn this feature back off, simply double click on the AtomTime icon in the System Tray area as it is starting up. The main display window will appear and you can change the setting.

  14. Does AtomTime Pro work with Windows NT? How about Windows Vista? Etc.
    Windows NT 3.51: No, sorry. NT 3.51 had some problems with Win95 display controls; NT 4.0 resolves those problems.
    Windows 3.1: No.
    Windows 95/98: Yes, definitely.
    Windows ME: Yes.
    Windows NT 4.0: Yes.
    Windows 2000: Yes.
    Windows XP: Yes.
    Windows Vista: Yes, but needs to be run with
    administrator privilege.
    Macintosh/OS X: No.
    Linux/UNIX clones: No. UNIX-type platforms already have a time standard package. Look for a ntp or xntp package on your distribution.

  15. Can I run AtomTime Pro as a service on Windows NT/2000?
    AtomTime can be run as a service program, with a little help. Here are the steps:
    1. Use an add-on utility to run AtomTime as a service program. Microsoft offers a free one called ANYSRV, and a number of users have found the freeware FireDaemon to be a better solution than Microsofts. FireDaemon can be found at:
        
      http://www.firedaemon.com
      We've tested with FireDaemon and find it easy to install and use. Follow the instructions with the service program to configure AtomTime as a service. However, do NOT start the AtomTime service yet. Once you've installed AtomTime as a service program, you'll need to change a few settings.
    2. Start AtomTime from the Start menu and change the Update Interval to some hourly value, and configure any other options you may need. Run it once to make sure it works OK. If you need assistance on the AtomTime options, please look over the AtomTime manual (found on your Start menu, in the AtomTime folder).
    3. Finally, in the Services control panel, change the startup options for the AtomTime service you installed in step 1. In particular, change the service startup options to be Log On As 'This Account' and then make sure you specify Administrator and the password. This will launch the service program under the administrator profile (but doesn't require that you sign in as administrator). Note: This assumes you've installed AtomTime under the Administrator account. If you didn't, then change the startup options for the service to use the account that you installed under. And also make sure that account has authority to change the system clock.
    Once you've completed these steps, you should be able to start the atomtime service (and have it automatically started when the computer is booted up). AtomTime will now run as a service, automatically updating the clock in the background, even when users aren't signed in.

    Please note that if you need to change an AtomTime setting, make sure you stop the atomtime service first.


  16. Isn't AtomTime freeware?
    No, sorry. AtomTime98 and AtomTime Pro are shareware. If you plan to keep using AtomTime, you must purchase a license. See the
    Registration section for details.