TIME (command) explained

time
Operating System:	RT-11, VERSAdos, iRMX 86, MS-DOS, PC DOS, MSX-DOS, DR-DOS, PC-MOS, SpartaDOS X, OS/2, eComStation, ArcaOS, Windows, ROM-DOS, SISNE plus, PTS-DOS, FreeDOS, ReactOS, SymbOS, DexOS
Platform:	Cross-platform
Genre:	Command
License:	PC-MOS: GPL-3.0-only ReactOS: GPL-2.0-only

In computing, TIME is a command in DEC RT-11,^[1] DOS, IBM OS/2,^[2] Microsoft Windows^[3] and a number of other operating systems that is used to display and set the current system time.^[4] It is included in command-line interpreters (shells) such as [[COMMAND.COM]], [[cmd.exe]], 4DOS, 4OS2 and 4NT.

Implementations

The command is also available in the Motorola VERSAdos,^[5] Intel iRMX 86,^[6] PC-MOS,^[7] SpartaDOS X,^[8] ReactOS,^[9] SymbOS, and DexOS operating systems as well as in the EFI shell.^[10] On MS-DOS, the command is available in versions 1 and later.^[11]

In Unix, the [[Date (Unix)|date]] command displays and sets both the time and date, in a similar manner.

Syntax

The syntax differs depending on the specific platform and implementation:

DOS

TIME [time]

OS/2 (CMD.EXE)

TIME [hh-mm-ss] [/N]

Note: /N means no prompt for TIME.

Windows (CMD.EXE)

TIME [/T | time]

When this command is called from the command line or a batch script, it will display the time and wait for the user to type a new time and press RETURN. Pressing RETURN without entering a new time will keep the current system time. The parameter '/T' will bypass asking the user to reset the time. The '/T' parameter is supported in Windows Vista and later and only if Command Extensions are enabled.

4DOS, 4OS2 and 4NT

TIME [/T] [hh[:mm[:ss]]] [AM | PM]

/T: (display only)hh: The hour (0–23).mm: The minute (0–59).ss: The second (0–59), set to 0 if omitted.

Examples

OS/2 (CMD.EXE)

• Display the current system time:

[C:\]TIMECurrent time is: 3:25 PMEnter the new time:

Windows (CMD.EXE)

• To set the computer clock to 3:42 P.M., either of the following commands can be used:

C:\>TIME 15:42C:\>TIME 3:42P

4DOS, 4OS2 and 4NT

• Display the current system time:

C:\SYS\SHELL\4DOS>TIME /T19:30:42

See also

• DATE (command)
• date (Unix)
• List of DOS commands
• Date and time notation

Further reading

• Book: Wolverton. Van. MS-DOS Commands: Microsoft Quick Reference, 4th Revised edition. 1990. Microsoft Press. 978-1556152894.
• Book: Kathy Ivens. Brian Proffit. 1993. OS/2 Inside & Out. Osborne McGraw-Hill. 978-0078818714.
• Book: Frisch, Æleen. 2001. Windows 2000 Commands Pocket Reference. O'Reilly. 978-0-596-00148-3.

External links

• time | Microsoft Docs

Notes and References

1. Web site: RT-11 HELP FILE . paleoferrosaurus.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180717041552/http://paleoferrosaurus.com/beta/documents/rt11help.html . 2018-07-17.
2. Web site: JaTomes Help - OS/2 Commands . www.jatomes.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190414130029/http://www.jatomes.com/Help/Os2Cmd.php . 2019-04-14.
3. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb491015.aspx Microsoft TechNet Time article
4. https://www.computerhope.com/timehlp.htm MS-DOS and Windows command line time command
5. http://bitsavers.org/pdf/motorola/versados/M68KVSF_D7_VERSAdosSysFacilities_Oct85.pdf M68000 Family VERSAdos System Facilities Reference Manual
6. https://archive.org/details/bitsavers_inteliRMX1_19819263 iRMX™86 INTRODUCTION AND OPERATOR'S REFERENCE MANUAL For Release 6
7. https://github.com/roelandjansen/pcmos386v501/blob/master/DOCS/v4/PCMOSv4UserManual.pdf PC-MOS User Guide
8. http://sdx.atari8.info/sdx_files/4.48/SDX448_User_Guide.pdf SpartaDOS X 4.48 User Guide
9. Web site: Reactos/Time.c at master · reactos/Reactos. GitHub. 19 February 2022.
10. Web site: EFI Shells and Scripting . . 2013-09-25.
11. Book: Wolverton. Van. Running MS-DOS Version 6.22 (20th Anniversary Edition), 6th Revised edition. 2003. Microsoft Press. 0-7356-1812-7.