Get-TimeZone -ListAvailable, then run Set-TimeZone -Id "GMT Standard Time" (UK) or Set-TimeZone -Id "UTC". The change applies at once, without a restart. You can also use Server Manager > Local Server > Time zone, tzutil /s or SConfig option 9. Date formats use Set-Culture, and the display language uses Install-Language.
Before you start
- Sign in as an administrator with Remote Desktop.
- Open PowerShell as administrator: select Start, type
PowerShell, right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator. - Decide which zone you want. Many admins keep servers on
UTCso logs from different servers line up; others use the zone their players or customers are in.
How to change the time zone with PowerShell
1
See the current time zone
2
Find the Id you need
GMT Standard Time, Berlin and Amsterdam are W. Europe Standard Time, New York is Eastern Standard Time.3
Set it
Set-TimeZone -Id "UTC" for Coordinated Universal Time (Set-TimeZone on Microsoft Learn).4
Check
Id shows the new zone and Get-Date the new local time.Other ways to change the time zone
- Server Manager
- SConfig (Server Core)
- tzutil (Command Prompt)
Open Server Manager > Local Server and click the value next to Time zone. In the Date and Time dialog, select Change time zone, pick the zone and select OK (Microsoft Learn).
The time zone only changes how the time is shown, not the clock itself. If the clock is wrong by minutes rather than whole hours, that’s a time synchronisation problem, not a time zone problem.
Which language setting do I need?
Windows has several separate language settings. Change only the one you need:How to change the date and number format
de-DE, fr-FR, nl-NL and so on for other regions (Set-Culture).
How to change the system locale for older programs
Some older programs and game servers show garbled text unless the system locale matches their language:How to change the display language
1
Install the language
2
Make it the system language
3
Restart
Restart the server or sign out and in again. New accounts created afterwards also use the new language.
Install-Language on your server, change the display language in the Settings app instead.
How to apply your settings to the sign-in screen and new users
After setting the region and language for your account, copy them to the system:Frequently asked questions
Do I need to restart after changing the time zone?
No.Set-TimeZone applies straight away. To be safe, restart long-running programs such as a game server afterwards so their logs use the new time.
What is the Windows time zone Id for the UK?
GMT Standard Time. It switches between GMT and BST automatically for daylight saving time.
How do I turn off daylight saving time adjustments?
Withtzutil, add _dstoff to the Id: tzutil /s "GMT Standard Time_dstoff". Or use a zone without daylight saving, such as UTC.
Will changing the language break my software?
Changing the display language or format doesn’t change your data. Programs that parse dates or numbers as text can behave differently with a new format, so test after changingSet-Culture on a production server.
Related guides
VPS and dedicated server guides
Every guide in this section.
First steps on a new Windows server
Time zone and more after setup.
Rename a Windows server
Set a clear computer name.
PowerShell on Windows Server
The commands used here.
Checked against Microsoft Learn: Set-TimeZone, tzutil, the International and LanguagePackManagement modules and SConfig on 4 November 2026. Not tested on a live Windows server for this page.
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Last Updated: November 2026