Using the Clock Setting Log

show the actual amount of time the clock was adjusted; the Clock Drift chart provides an indication of the system clock's accuracy over a given period. The Previous Settings chart gives a good summary of the computer's time accuracy performance since ClockWatch was installed.

Spotting Trends Using the Graphs
First, to get a reasonable set of data, run ClockWatch in the Periodic mode for one or two days with an interval of 8 hrs. Unless the system is drifting excessively, a shorter interval will probably not show much of a trend.

After the sample period, review the Clock Drift graph:

If there is little or no drift, then the system is relatively stable and the test should be repeated with the time interval set to 1 day.

If the Clock Drift is relatively constant, then the System is relatively uniform in its time drift.

If the Clock Drift varies widely, then there is possibly a program or hardware conflict that may be interrupting the functioning of the clock. While this is a normal condition, it is an indication that ClockWatch should be run regularly to keep the clock accurate.

Using the Clock Setting Log

The Clock Setting log provides a record of all the settings, made on the system. This can be useful in a variety of ways:

To store previous setting attempts for use by the Previous Settings Graph.
As a record of system performance.

As a long term indicator of System Clock Drift over time.

As a source of information on when Internet access is available.
As an input to other programs such as a spreadsheet or database programs where further analysis would be done.

Using Batch Mode

ClockWatch can be operated in an unattended mode from the Windows 95/NT or MS-DOS command line. This allows unattended or batch operation for:

Execution from other programs
Starting from remote computers
Starting from scheduling programs such as Windows 98 Task Scheduler or Microsoft Plus+
Inclusion in batch files.