SetClock  SetClock

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by Roedy Green ©1996-2009 Canadian Mind Products
start SetClock

Click the dark blue WebStart button to run SetClock. Then click Get Time, then Set Time, then Exit.

SetClock is a Java Web Start program that sets your PC clock accurately by probing an atomic clock on the web. The atomic clock knows the precise UTC time, including leap seconds. If you are running Vista, then you must be running as an administrator or the SetClock program will be able to display the time, but will not be able to set it.

SetClock is also available with Java source to download. SetClock is not necessary for Windows Vista, which has its own atomic clock setting procedure, though you can use SetClock if you want, or if you suspect Vista is not maintaining your clock’s accuracy.

You will get the most accurate results if you don’t have a lot of Internet activity running at the same time.

The clock inside your computer runs on UTC/GMT time, independent of your timezone or whether daylight saving is in effect. You must not manually adjust it for daylight saving changes. Your computer software will automatically change the displayed time to account for daylight saving so long as you have configured the correct time zone in the control panel. In any case, SetClock will undo the damage caused by someone fiddling with the computer’s clock.

If, setclock, the above Set Clock signed Java Web Start application does not work…

  1. This signed Java Web Start application needs Java 1.5 or later, best version 1.5.0_20 or later, version 1.6.0_16 recommended and a recent browser.
  2. You should see the Java Web Start above looking much like the screenshot. If you don’t, the following should help you get it working:
  3. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, try another browser. Seriously. Microsoft has taken great pains, over and over, to screw up Java and every other multi-platform standardisation.
  4. If you are using Internet Explorer 7 or 8, you must allow blocked content permission for Active X to run. This also gives permission to Java to run. Click the Information bar, and then click Allow blocked content. Unfortunately, this also allows dangerous ActiveX code to run. However, you must do this in order to get access to perfectly-safe Java Applets running in a sandbox. This is part of Microsoft’s war on Java. Don’t put up with it! Use a different browser.
  5. For this Java Web Start to work, you must click grant/accept to give it permission to set your PC’s hardware clock.
  6. Optionally, you may permanently install the Canadian Mind Products code-signing certificate so you don’t have to grant each time.
  7. If the above Java Web Start appears to freeze-up, click Alt-Esc repeatedly to check for any buried permission dialog box.
  8. If you have certificate troubles, check the installed certificates and remove or update any obsolete or suspected defective certificates. The only certificate used by this program is mindprodcert2009dsa.cer.
  9. Even if JWS (Java Web Start) complains that the certificate used to sign this application is “invalid”, please click grant/accept anyway.
  10. If the above Java Web Start does not work, or if it fails to automatically install the latest versions, try running:
    javaws.exe -viewer
    on the command line, then click show resources and delete any of the resources that you want refreshed, and try launching the application again.
  11. If the above Java Web Start does not work, or if it fails to automatically install the latest versions, try uninstalling the JWS application in the control panel or uninstall it with:
    javaws.exe -viewer
    on the command line, and try launching the application again.
  12. If reinstalling does not work, especially if JWS appears to be using an obsolete *.jnlp file stuck in cache, try bulk uninstalling all JWS apps with:
    javaws.exe -uninstall
    on the command line, and try launching the application again.
  13. If the error message says “program not found” the problem is likely a damaged association between *.jnlp files and the javaws.exe program. To learn how to repair the association, click the Repair button below.
  14. For Firefox, select open with: Java(TM) web start launcher.
  15. To ensure your Java is up to date, check with Wassup. First, download it and run it as an application independent of your browser, then run it online as an Applet to add the complication of your browser.
  16. If the above Java Web Start does not work, check the Java console for error messages.
  17. If the above Java Web Start does not work, you might have better luck with the downloadable version.
  18. This signed Java Web Start application requires modules from the Microsoft C++ Express 9 run time library. Normally they should be automatically statically included. However, if someone recompiled the JNI C++ code without the /MT option, this code will not work unless the vcredist_x86.exe Microsoft C++ Express 9 run time library is preinstalled. You can download it from Microsoft or CMP. The symptom of this problem is an UnsatisfiedLinkError or a side-by-side configuration error.
  19. If you are using Mac OS X and would like an improved Look and Feel, download the QuaQua look & feel from randelshofer.ch/quaqua. UnZip the contained quaqua.jar and install it in ~/Library/Java/Extensions or one of the other ext dirs.
  20. If you still can’t get the program working click HELP for more detail.
  21. If you can’t get the above Java Web Start working after trying the advice above and from the HELP button below, have bugs to report or ideas to improve the program or its documentation, please send me an email atemail Roedy Green.
Java powered   Get New Java  Get New Browser   Install/Repair JWS   Help

Unfortunately SetClock only works for Windows computers since it has to use a small piece of JNI native code to actually set the system clock. If you are willing to port the tiny piece of JNI code to your platform, I would be happy to incorporate it so that SetClock works on your platform too.

Click the dark blue WebStart button at the top of the page to run the Setclock program.

PackageVersionReleasedLicenceLanguageNotes 
setclock
SetClock
8.3 2008-09-23 free Java
summaryfactsscreenshotbrowse source repository for the current version of SetClock. Set your PC Clock from an accurate atomic webserver clocks.
download SetClock Java source and compiled class files to run on your own machine as a Java Web Start application.

First install the most recent Java.

To install, extract the zip download with WinZip, (or similar unzip utility) into any directory you please, often J:\ — ticking off the “user folder names” option.

To check out the corresponding source from the Subversion repository, use the TortoiseSVN repo-browser to
access setclock source in repository with [Tortoise] Subversion client on wush.net/svn/mindprod/com/mindprod/setclock/.

To run the JWS application, modify the jnlp file to look in the right place for its files, then type:

javaws J:\com\mindprod\setclock\setclock.jnlp

adjusting as necessary to account for where the jar file is.

download ASP PAD XML program description for the current version of SetClock.

SetClock is free. Full source included. You may even include the source code, modified or unmodified in commercial programs that you write and distribute. Non-military use only.
   
 
atomic clock
Canadian Mind Products DSA code Signing Certificate
Java Web Start
other downloads
radio-synched clock
time sources

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