Windows XP, 2008 Server, Windows 7. Update time zones: why is it needed and how does it work?

With the change in the legislation of some countries, many users of computer systems based on Windows began to experience problems with incorrect time settings. To correct the situation, for example, in Windows 7, update the time zones. What for it is necessary, how such update works, we now also will look.

Windows 7. Update of time zones: why is this necessary?

The most important thing that is immediately worth noting is the need to automate the system settings associated with the correct time settings, depending on the location of the user.

At the same time, in the same Windows 7 update of time zones for any country is connected exclusively with automatic switching to daylight saving time and back. In some countries, such a transition was canceled, which, in fact, necessitated the reconfiguration of the computer system. After all, how was it before? System time during the transition changed completely automatically, and after a change in the country's legislation, it turns out, so to speak, a false response. That's why Microsoft specialists offer all users to install an additional update, which will change the current settings.

General principles of updating time zones in any Windows-system

In general, this topic affects all the modifications of Windows OS, not just the "seven". The update for time zones (XP, server version 2008 or any other) works on the same principle.

The essence of the matter is reduced to register in the system registry in the settings responsible for automating the transitions in time, which are provided in some region, new values. With all this, as it is probably already clear to many, it is absolutely ungrateful to deal with such things manually, and even then the system itself can be irreparably damaged, and even so that it will cease to work afterwards.

To do this, on the official site in the updates section, you just need to download a special update in the form of an executable script that will create the required keys in the registry.

Cumulative update of time zones

In later versions of Windows, if the update was not offered to the download automatically, you can use manual search. To do this, use the appropriate section in the standard Control Panel.

As for how to update the time zones of Windows 2008 or XP with an unrecovered third service pack, these updates will have to be downloaded independently. Manual search in this case may not work.

How it works?

After downloading the corresponding package in the same Windows 7, the time zone update will be fully automatic, and switching to summer time and back depending on the user's location will no longer cause errors, which in some cases, due to incorrect settings of the date and time , Can even lead to a complete inoperability of the system, up to the appearance of death screens.

However, if the download and subsequent integration of the package into the system is done in the automatic update mode, problems should not arise. If for some reason this does not work, you should download the package yourself, while paying attention to the version of the operating system, its bit depth and the presence of some necessary components (for example, in the case of Windows XP this is the third SP3 service pack, and the latest one Release).

Separately it is necessary to tell about what to do is not necessary categorically. If anyone does not know, there is no official update for Windows XP with the second service pack. Therefore, change the key values in the HKLM registry branch via SOFTWARE, and then in the CurrentVersion / Time Zones subkey it will be necessary to manually. However, in order not to deal with such things, it is better to install SP3 first, first downloading it from the official Microsoft resource, and then only to update the time zones with integration into the KB package with the corresponding number.

By the way, in Windows 7 update of time zones affects not only the whole system as a whole, but also some of its components separately. So, for example, to the greatest extent this affects the standard Microsoft Outlook mail client. And what exactly you can not do is delete the registry subkeys associated with the time zone settings, even if these data are out of date or do not apply to your region. In a pinch, it's better to use some optimizer that allows you to fix incorrect or obsolete entries automatically and without compromising the system.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no something critical in the installation of such an update in any modification of Windows. At least this will avoid problems with improper settings in the future, for example, when accessing any resources on the Internet or installing specific software. And the process itself can be fully automated, provided that the required update is found and downloaded to the computer. However, in the absence of the necessary updates to the system itself, the type of service packs can sometimes be difficult, so it is strongly recommended that you install them before you download and integrate the time zone update package into the system.