I've been running into some frustrating issues with time synchronization and location services on Windows 10/11 for our users. We set up policies through Intune to enable location services and automatic time syncing, especially for people who travel frequently. However, we've encountered a few problems:
1. New users often end up with Pacific Time set as their timezone, and the only remedy we've found is a system restart. It seems odd that this doesn't work straight out of the box, especially since we've tried changing time zones manually through the Control Panel. Any manual changes get overridden by the next automatic time sync, even though Windows correctly detects the location.
2. There have been instances where Microsoft Maps fails to detect the right location. We managed to fix this by setting a default location manually, which helped sync the time correctly. But again, any changes would revert after an auto time sync.
3. I'm also dealing with a bizarre case where Microsoft Maps is pinpointing a location in Africa while we're expecting a timezone in the USA. Despite double-checking the keyboard and language settings, the IP address resolving correctly, and even toggling location services, the system still defaults back to the incorrect timezone after a sync. I've done all sorts of troubleshooting, including clearing caches and temporarily disabling tracking to see if it would help.
I haven't checked if time.Windows.com on UDP 123 is accessible, but syncing hasn't failed, so I assume that's okay. These weird inconsistencies are baffling, especially since similar setups have been fine for years.
Does anyone have insights or documentation on how Windows determines location and how we can address inaccuracies without turning off auto time syncing? It's becoming quite a time drain, and although users requested this functionality, it's making things more complex. Am I missing something important here?
2 Answers
It sounds like you’re really stuck in a frustrating situation! One option might be to limit the admin controls over time sync while letting users manage everything else, especially the timezone adjustments. It used to be a lot simpler, but I get the pain with Intune. Consider reaching out to support for specific scenarios; they might give you clearer guidance on this.
For your situation with Microsoft Maps getting it wrong, maybe it’s worth trying to reconfigure the network settings or even do a full reset of those services? Caches and past IP data can really complicate things sometimes.
Totally get it. Intune’s restrictions on user permissions around time settings can be super frustrating, especially in regulated environments. You might also want to look into any recent changes or updates that could be affecting these behaviors. It rarely fails to throw a wrench in your process.