I found a useful script on the SUSserver.com website for detecting and interpreting the automatic updates client registry settings.
Windows Server 2003 time service not updating from Internet
The Windows Time service (W32Time) uses the Network Time Protocol (NTP) to help synchronize time across a network. NTP is an Internet time protocol that includes the algorithms necessary for synchronizing clocks and is required by the Kerberos authentication protocol in order to ensure that all computers within an enterprise use a common time.
NTP is a more accurate time protocol than the Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) that is used in some versions of Windows; however W32Time continues to support SNTP to enable backward compatibility with computers running SNTP-based time services, such as Windows 2000. NTP uses UDP port 123 for communications. Further details of the Windows Server 2003 implementation may be found in the Windows Server 2003 Technical Reference.
Within an Active Directory forest, the domain controller holding the PDC emulator operations master role in the forest root domain is the head of a hierarchical structure for time synchronisation throughout the forest, and would typically be configured to synchronise with a known time source – either a hardware device, or an Internet time server (in the past I have used the United States Naval Observatory servers tick.usno.navy.mil and tock.usno.navy.mil). This configuration may be established using the following command syntax:
net time /setsntp[:ntp server list]
Best practice would indicate that multiple time sources be configured, by DNS name (rather than IP address); however even when correctly configured W32Time errors may be exhibited in the event logs. Microsoft has confirmed this as a problem in Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft knowledge base article 830092 discusses the problem. A hotfix is available from Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS).
Windows XP SP2 is now available for download
Despite the Windows and .NET magazine network reporting that XP SP2 has been delayed again, I can confirm that SP2 did ship last week.
The following text is taken from an e-mail received from Microsoft this morning:
“Windows XP Service Pack 2 released to manufacturing on Friday August 6, 2004.Windows XP Service Pack 2 contains major security improvements designed to provide better protection against hackers, viruses, and worms. Windows XP Service Pack 2 also improves the manageability of the security features in Windows XP and provides more and better information to help users make decisions that may potentially affect their security and privacy.
On Monday, August 9, 2004, the full network installation package for Windows XP Service Pack 2 will be posted on the Windows XP Service Pack 2 site on Microsoft TechNet (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/winxpsp2). This site is also the best resource for accessing the most up-to-date technical information regarding Windows XP Service Pack 2. On-line distribution will be the primary distribution vehicle for Windows XP Service Pack 2 and below is a summary of the key milestones of the distribution plan:
- 6 August 2004: Release to manufacturing
- 9 August 2004: Release to Microsoft Download Center (network installation package)
- 9 August 2004: Release to MSDN subscription site (CD ISO image)
- 10 August 2004: Release to Automatic Updates (for machines running pre-release versions of Windows XP Service Pack 2 only)
- 16 August 2004: Release to Automatic Updates (for machines NOT running pre-releases versions of Windows XP Service Pack 2)
- 16 August 2004: Release to Software Update Services
- Later in August: Release Server Pack 2 to Windows Update for interactive user installations
Because of the significant security improvements outlined above, Microsoft views Windows XP Service Pack 2 as an essential security update and is therefore distributing it as a ‘critical update’ via Windows Update (WU) and the Automatic Updates (AU) delivery mechanism in Windows. Microsoft is strongly urging customers with Windows XP and Windows XP Service Pack 1-based systems to upgrade to Windows XP Service Pack 2 as soon as possible. “