Computer World Time Clocks

Ever wondered why the clock in your computer loses time? Computers are supposed to be infallible, right? Especially when it comes to something as simple as displaying the correct time. There are a couple of reasons why a computer clock may lose time.

• A weak CMOS battery. The CMOS battery also backs up the date and time to ensure it isn't lost when the computer is turned off. When the CMOS battery is weak, it is possible that the motherboard has disabled the clock to save power.

• The clock may simply be inaccurate. The greater number of instances where cheaper, poorer quality motherboards are supplied may be contributing to the problem.

The recommended courses of action for a computer clock losing time are:

• Check the battery to ensure it is not the cause.

• Check the motherboard for any faults.

If no problem is found with either motherboard or battery the other recommended options are:

• Replace the motherboard.

• Use software to make up for the fault in the clock. There are several systems available that allow users to synchronise their computers' clocks with the UTC Atomic clock and others that allow the system clock to be readjusted each day to keep it fairly accurate.

Some software systems available are:

• The National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST)

• World Time Server

• Bexclock - Freeware Atomic Clock Synchronizer

• Thinking Man Software - Dimension 4 v5.0

There are other useful tools we can use to make our computing lives easier.

The Galleon Time Zones Clock at http://www.time-zones.com/ , for example, allows you to see the time in any city or cities of your choice from over three hundred cities around the world.

Simply select the cities you wish to keep "time track"of and they will be displayed on your computer. This computer world time clock software is free for non-commercial use and makes keeping in touch with friends and family around the globe easier to coordinate.

Keeping track of time accurately isn't the only challenge we can face with our computers. There are times when we need to work offline, during which, we may make notes and diary entries pertinent to our occupation. Sometimes these handwritten notes may need to be circulated to office staff and colleagues.

There are now programs that allow you to transfer paper entries to your computer. Some examples of this type of software are:

The Elephant Calendar

Logitech® ioT2 Digital Writing System

Imagine being able to sketch your ideas in freehand without having to convert them to computer graphics and never having to type up those meeting notes again.

Computers are part of most aspects of our lives today. Whether at home or at work we want them to run smoothly. We also want them to continue to lighten our load and respond to our demands quicker and more efficiently. As time goes on and our demands become greater, new challenges will emerge. How we deal with them will largely depend on how well we know our computers.