How can I fix the wrong Windows time after dual-booting with Linux Mint?
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MellowPine47
I installed Linux Mint alongside Windows 11 in a dual-boot setup. After starting Windows again, the system clock showed the wrong time. What is causing this, and what is the best way to make the time stay correct in both operating systems?
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Another option is to leave Linux using UTC and configure Windows to use UTC instead. Whichever approach you choose, make sure the BIOS/UEFI clock is correct first, then let both operating systems synchronize their time automatically. Manually changing the clock in each system can temporarily hide the problem but won’t fix the underlying mismatch.
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This happens because Windows and Linux normally interpret the computer’s hardware clock differently. Windows treats it as local time, while Linux generally treats it as UTC. Each system then applies its own time zone adjustment, which makes the clock appear wrong when switching between them.
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You can configure Linux Mint to use local time so it matches Windows. Open a terminal and run: `sudo timedatectl set-local-rtc 1 --adjust-system-clock` Then reboot and check both operating systems. This is usually the simplest fix for a dual-boot machine.
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MellowPine47: That makes sense. I’ll try changing Linux to use the same hardware-clock format as Windows.