I recently ran into an issue on one of my Windows machines where I could not change the date and time. Every time I clicked on the Change Date and Time dialog shown below, I kept getting an error.
The message was constantly appearing:
Unable to continue. You do not have permission to perform this task.
I’ve had problems with this machine before and thought it might be related. In the end, I had to try several different solutions before I stopped getting an error saying I don’t have permission. Hopefully one of the solutions works for you.
Method 1 – Safe Mode
The first method – safe mode
You can try changing the date and time in safe mode. If you can change it here, then the problem is either with the startup item or with the Windows service. Then you can clean boot Windows to narrow down the problem.
You can check out this article from Microsoft detailing how to perform a clean boot on Windows:
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http: //support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
Also check out my article on various ways to get to Safe Mode in Windows.
Method 2 – Checking System Files
Method 2 – System File Checker
The next thing you can try is running System File Checker. If you’re having strange permissions issues in Windows, it might be corrupted system files and settings. You can start SFC by opening a command prompt and typing the following command:
sfc / scannow
System File Checker will check all system files and replace any corrupted, modified, or corrupted files.
Method 3 – Command Line
Third method – command line
You can also change the date and time in Windows using the command line. Open a Command Prompt, type the word date and press Enter. You will be prompted to enter a new date.
What about time? Pretty simple too. Just enter the word “time” and you can also change the time:
Note that the time is in 24-hour format and you can specify it down to milliseconds. You should be able to change the time without opening an elevated command prompt. However, if you get an error, try running Command Prompt as administrator.
Method 4 – Local Security Policy
Fourth method – local security policy
If you get an error message like “Client does not have the required privileges” when you try to use the command line, go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policy, and then go to Local Policy User Rights Assignment and ensure that Administrators are granted edit rights system time and time zone change.
Please note, if you are on a domain, you may be limited by the group policy set by your company. If you are not a member of the domain and administrators do not have the above two rights, adding the group to the security settings should solve the problem.
Method 5 – Windows Time Service
Fifth method – Windows Time Service
If you are still having problems changing the date and time in Windows, go to Control Panel, Administrative Tools and click Services. Scroll down to Windows Time, right-click and select Properties. Click the Log On tab and make sure it is set to This account is a local service.
Password fields should be filled in automatically, so you don’t need to enter passwords. Go ahead and restart your computer and see what happens.
Method 6. Uninstall third-party watch apps
Method 6 – Uninstall third-party watch apps
If you have a third-party clock manager or time program, uninstall it and see if that solves your Windows date / time change issue. Sometimes a conflict can arise and a third party program can prevent you from changing the time.
Hopefully one of the above solutions will solve your problem. If not, leave a comment here and I’ll try to help. Enjoy!
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