How to prevent clock synchronisation ?

[Jan_vi]

We have a Windows 10 Host and goal is to run a VM with XP Pro exactly like it

was when Service Pack3 was new. This requires a fake clock for Workstation

Pro 15 what is minimum 10 years earlier. Everything works fine as long as the

host clock is also with early fake time. As soon as I enable the host NTP sync, the

XP workstation follows that time. To prevent the vmx file has

following entries:

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.continue = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.restore = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.resume.disk = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.shrink = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.tools.startup = "FALSE"

time.synchronize.tools.enable = "0"

time.sychronze.resume.host="0"

Switch of the XP internet time NTP is useless. Stop and unregister XP w32tm is useless.

Last step seems to re-enable the NTP connection. XP dialog switch is grey but ticked.

The XP seems not to read any NTP directly becouse it follows always the host time.

How to run host and VM with diffrent years ?

[a_p_]

What you may try is to add

rtc.startTime = "nnnnnnnnn"


to the VM's configuration file.

The value is the offset in seconds to Jan 1, 1970 00:00 UTC.

Take a look at e.g. https://www.epochconverter.com/ to determine the value for this setting.

Also note that the last two settings you've posted should be set to "FALSE" rather than "0" for VMware Workstation VMs (see https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1189​)

André

[Jan_vi]

After changing "0" to "FALSE" guest time also synchronized from host time at booting the VM guest.

Assume all, the time.synchronize.tools... entries only disable the sync caused by VM tools but do not

prevent reading the virtual realtime system clock by guest OS itsself. Any instance has to maintain

system time while the VM is power down and this seems VMwares virtual Real Time Clock

what is obviosly based on the host clock what is obviosly based on the hardware CMOS-RTC.

rtc.startTime is not the solution becouse my application relies on ascending time for

database and file entries (similar than make with makefile). Therefore additional entry:

rtc.diffFromUTC = "-315529200"

produces fake time of exactly ten years earlier while host time can be NTP derived. Like expected,

guest OS time count elapses while VM is powered of as well as while host OS and hardware powered off.

To stop system time while VM is powered off, is not a requirement for my application but could

also offer interesting possibilities ...

[TroyT3]

If you find a solution please post it here.  I posted the same question on the 11th and haven't gotten anywhere.

https://communities.vmware.com/message/2809824

[Jan_vi]

Above mentioned command  rtc.diffFromUTC works great for my fake time even with sync to

the real NTP at startup of VM guest. Changing the config file I can choose any distance

like 1 year or 10 years or consider leap years for correct week day derived from current NTP time.

I never had the problem with changed vmx configuration files.

Maybe you dont use a correct shutdown of your guest VM why host restores previous vmx backup ?

After changing vmx file you also must not go to previous snapshoots. They also restore vmx config.