Copyright: Windows 98 Time Zone Editor Help© Microsoft Corporation 1997
Citation: Windows 98 Time Zone Editor Help© Microsoft Corporation 1997


Windows 98 Time Zone Editor

The Time Zone Editor creates and edits the time zone entries that appear in the Date/Time properties dialog box in the Control Panel. Any changes, additions, or deletions made with Time Zone Editor affect the stored data for time zones in the following Registry key:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

TimeZones

Since some of the information stored in this key is binary, it is not advisable to edit them with Registry Editor. Time Zone Editor is the ideal tool for editing this information.

Time Zone Editor Topics

Creating a New Time Zone Entry

Editing a Time Zone Entry

Editing the Current Time Zone Entry


Creating New Time Zone Entries
Creating New Time Zones

You can use the Time Zone Editor to create new time zone entries for the Date/Time icon. You can create an unlimited number of customized time zones.

To Create a new time zone

1	In the Windows 98 Time Zone Editor dialog box, click New.

2	In the Time Zone Name box, type the name for the new time zone entry.
Note The name should follow the form: “(GMT+\- 0x:00) time zone name “. It cannot exceed 63 characters.

3	In the first Abbreviation box, type a name for the Standard time zone name abbreviation, not exceeding 31 characters.
Note The abbreviation is a short string name passed back to applications, such as Mail applications, that use this information. The first Abbreviation box should contain the abbreviation for the Standard (non-daylight) version of this time zone.

4	In the Offset From GMT box, select the time difference from Greenwich Mean Time. This value is the actual number that will be used in data fields to calculate the time for this time zone.

5	If the new time zone uses daylight savings time, check the Automatically Set Daylight Saving Time checkbox. Then, in the boxes below, set the dates and times on which daylight savings time will stop and start. The Abbreviation box is an optional entry. Type a short name for the daylight savings time version of this time zone (E.G., Pacific Daylight).

6	In the Daylight Bias box, select the time change from the Standard time for daylight savings time. In most cases this value should stay at the default value of +1:00 hour. This will cause the time to move forward one hour on the DST start day/time and fall back one hour on the DST end day/time.


Editing a Time Zone Entry
Editing a Time Zone

You can edit a time zone name or adjust the start and end dates for daylight saving time. All time zone information changed will affect every user of the system.

To Edit a time zone

1	In the Windows 98 Time Zone Editor dialog box, select a time zone and then click Edit.

2	Edit the time zone name, abbreviation, or the difference from Greenwich Mean Time.
Note The abbreviation is a short string name passed back to applications, such as Mail applications, that ask for more information about this time zone. The first Abbreviation box should contain the abbreviation for the Standard (non-daylight) version of this time zone.

3	If you want daylight saving time to be automatically enabled for the time zone, check the Automatically Set Daylight Saving Time checkbox. Then, in the boxes below, set the dates and times on which daylight savings time will stop and start.

In the second Abbreviation box, optionally type a name to be used for the time zone when daylight savings time is in effect (E.G. “Pacific Daylight”).

In the Daylight Bias box, select the time change from the Standard time for daylight savings time. In most cases this value should stay at the default value of +1:00 hour. This will cause the time to move forward one hour on the DST start day/time and fall back one hour on the DST end day/time.


Editing the Time Zone Entry for the Current Time Zone

Data for the current time zone is saved in a different location in the Registry than the data for the time zone entries in the Date/Time Icon. Therefore, if you change the settings for the current time zone, the changes will not immediately take effect. In order for the new information to be used by the system, use the following procedure.

To edit the time zone entry for the current time zone

1	Use the Windows 98 Time Zone Editor to edit the time zone entry.

2	Open Control Panel and click the Date/Time icon.

3	Click the Time Zone tab.

4	Select or re-select the time zone you have changed.

5	Click OK.

The system clock will be reset to take into account the changes you have made.