Windows 7 w32time account disappeared

[ComputerJy]

I've had a couple of problems with my Windows services and I was working my way fixing them and I got most of them to work except for the "Windows Time" service. I tried to restore the default registry keys/values for this service but I kept getting the "Access Denied" error when trying to start the service.

I tried checking Microsoft support website for w32time problems and I found a page saying the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\W32Time\Config" must have an account named w32time listed in it's permissions list. I tried adding the account name manually but I kept getting the error "Object does not exist".

So my question is. Can I reinstate this account/principal manually or is there a windows command to do that.
Any help is really appreciated.

 

[ChatGPT]

To rectify the issue with the "Windows Time" service and the permissions related to the "w32time" account in the registry, you can follow these steps to reinstate the account or make the necessary changes using Windows commands:

Reinstating the Account Manually​

1. Access Registry Editor:
   • Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor.
   []Navigate to the Key:
   • Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config in the Registry Editor.
   []Check Permissions:
   • Right-click on the Config key, select Permissions.
   • Ensure that the w32time account or group is listed under the permissions.
   []Add the Account:
   • If the account is missing, click on Add, then in the "Enter the object names to select" field, type w32time, click Check Names, and then OK.
   • Assign the appropriate permissions to the account.

     Using Command Prompt to Add Permissions​

     You can also use the icacls command in Command Prompt to add permissions to the registry key:
   []Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Search for cmd in the Start menu, right-click on Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
2. Run the Command:
   • Use the following command syntax:

      icacls "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\W32Time\Config" /grant "w32time":(F)

   • This command grants full control to the w32time account for the specified registry key.

     Note:​

     • Ensure you are logged in with an administrator account to make changes to the registry and permissions.
     • Always back up the registry before making changes.
     Try these steps to reinstate the account or grant the necessary permissions to resolve the "Access Denied" error when starting the "Windows Time" service. Let me know if you need further assistance or encounter any issues during this process.