Time Zone problem on Windows Mobile

Mobile

The HTC Touch phone that I have been using from 18 months had turned into a nightmare from the past 2 months.

I do use the phone extensively to synch my Outlook contacts and calendar appointments. However from the past few weeks, I was seeing that the Time Zone on the phone used to default back to GMT+1 at random times.

I am on GMT+5.30 and for some unknown reason it used to default back to GMT+1. As expected, the appointments in the calendar were popping up at the wrong time; same goes for the morning alarms.

I did observe this reset happening after disconnecting the device from an active ActiveSync session. However I used to see this behavior at random times even without the assistance of ActiveSync.

When I connect the device to the PC, the time on the device is always synchronized with the time on PC, but the Time Zone was always untouched.

I did search thorough a lot of forums to find a fix for this problem. Some of the forum posts were pointing to the data set in the Regional Settings. I checked on it and every other possible option in Windows Mobile and nothing helped.

Just a few days back, I found a setting on the device which was causing this issue (Not sure how I overlooked it)

There is a Time Zones tab on the Phone settings (which is almost hidden)

Windows Mobile Time Zone

I for some reason had enabled the option and hence the time zone was being set/overridden by the carrier; in my case the screw up was being done by Airtel.

The Airtel tower was setting the Time Zone on my phone to GMT+1 Prague, Budapest while it was standing tall and operating from Bangalore. I am sure opening a complaint with Airtel won’t help and I have disabled this option for now.

If any of you Windows Mobile owners are facing a similar Time Zone issue, do check this option.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Harish Dec 28, 2008 Link

    A post after a looong time. Thought you had stopped blogging πŸ™‚

  • TheAnand Dec 28, 2008 Link

    I used to have this same issue too! Thanks, starred this on my reader, will follow it up and let you know how it goes.

  • Raj Dec 29, 2008 Link

    Ah, I faced the same problem last year when I started syncing my calendar. Luckily, I found help just 10 days later. Those 10 days were hell though. My alarm used to go off in the middle of the night. πŸ˜€

  • Venu Dec 30, 2008 Link

    Harish – Yup I am on a 10 day vacation and nope I haven’t stopped Blogging… Not yet πŸ™‚

    Anand – I guess that option doesn’t work anywhere. Safe to turn it off

    Raj – Next time when I have a HTC problem, I will be pinging you even before searching through the forums πŸ™‚

  • vishnu Jan 8, 2009 Link

    good that you found the solution in settings..

    You have got a well maintained site.. (and yeah a break of a couple or more of months as well πŸ™‚ Came in to the site after a search on zte tps..

  • Mystery shopping May 15, 2009 Link

    i have windows mobile 2003 se runnign on a dell axim x30 now can i download a free of cheap program that i can call home phones over the internet. adn not skypee because i already have that and im lookign for an alternative.

  • Mystery shopping Jun 1, 2009 Link

    I do not believe that is compatible with 6 yet. They are working harder to get 6.1 on more of the newer phones than catch up to older 5.0 phones. I just got an HTC Touch that was preloaded with 6.

  • Mystery shopping Jul 2, 2009 Link

    i have windows mobile 2003 se runnign on a dell axim x30 now can i download a free of cheap program that i can call home phones over the internet. adn not skype because i already have that and im lookign for an alternative.

  • Mystery shopping Jul 2, 2009 Link

    I have an HTC Tytn that came pre-installed with windows mobile 5 and i want to install windows mobile 6. I am an HTC club member but the site has nothing to download.

  • Cory Thompson Feb 3, 2010 Link

    Thanks so much,

    This was almost ruining my life (I live off my phone cal, task). The timezone would change the due date and the time for my task and calendar events.

    Thanks again.

  • User12 Nov 5, 2010 Link

    Hey,

    its not HTC’s Problem. Its M$. Every Windows Phone do that. Also a Touch Pro. Active Sync mess up the time to. So a dam beginner error form M$. Sry but M$ is so poor! Dont know sure, but it seems its cause the want a reason the mess up to sell windows phone 7. Never more windows phone. I have angouth of that buggy crap. And the version 7 is really nothing i wont!

  • Paul Mar 9, 2011 Link

    I have this same problem, but I can’t find the “Time Zone” tab you mention. Please could you tell me exactly where to find it? Thanks!