Set time programmatically using C#

Question

What is the best way to set the time on a remote machine remotely? The machine is running Windows XP and is receiving the new time through a web service call. The goal is

Answer 1

Here's the routine I have been using for years to read the DateTime value off our our SQL Server (using file time), convert it to a SYSTEMTIME that is set on the PC.

This works for PCs and Windows Mobile devices.

It can be called anytime you happen to be calling your SQL Server.

public class TimeTool {

  private static readonly DateTime NODATE = new DateTime(1900, 1, 1);

#if PocketPC
  [DllImport("coredll.dll")]
#else
  [DllImport("kernel32.dll")]
#endif
  static extern bool SetLocalTime([In] ref SYSTEMTIME lpLocalTime);

  public struct SYSTEMTIME {
    public short Year, Month, DayOfWeek, Day, Hour, Minute, Second, Millisecond;
    /// 

    /// Convert form System.DateTime
    /// 
    /// Creates System Time from this variable
    public void FromDateTime(DateTime time) {
      Year = (short)time.Year;
      Month = (short)time.Month;
      DayOfWeek = (short)time.DayOfWeek;
      Day = (short)time.Day;
      Hour = (short)time.Hour;
      Minute = (short)time.Minute;
      Second = (short)time.Second;
      Millisecond = (short)time.Millisecond;
    }

    public DateTime ToDateTime() {
      return new DateTime(Year, Month, Day, Hour, Minute, Second, Millisecond);
    }

    public static DateTime ToDateTime(SYSTEMTIME time) {
      return time.ToDateTime();
    }
  }

  // read SQL Time and set time on device
  public static int SyncWithSqlTime(System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection con) {
    SYSTEMTIME systemTime = new SYSTEMTIME();
    DateTime sqlTime = NODATE;
    string sql = "SELECT GETDATE() AS [CurrentDateTime]";
    using (System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand cmd = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand(sql, con)) {
      try {
        cmd.Connection.Open();
        System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader r = cmd.ExecuteReader();
        while (r.Read()) {
          if (!r.IsDBNull(0)) {
            sqlTime = (DateTime)r[0];
          }
        }
      } catch (Exception) {
        return -1;
      }
    }
    if (sqlTime != NODATE) {
      systemTime.FromDateTime(sqlTime); // Convert to SYSTEMTIME
      if (SetLocalTime(ref systemTime)) { //Call Win32 API to set time
        return 1;
      }
    }
    return 0;
  }

}