[Quick Fix] How to Resolve the “Your clock is ahead/behind” error message in GABC Chrome Browser

Are you working too hard to get rid of meeting deadlines when suddenly you see Your clock is ahead or Your clock is behind or NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID error message on your screen?

I saw this problem when I first got myself into content writing. I was meeting a deadline, and out of nowhere, Your clock is behind popped up on my screen. Being a techie, I didn’t have to waste too much time on it. But it hampered my momentum and creativity of the work I was performing.

Don’t worry. I’ll explain how you can resolve this issue within the shortest possible time.

But what causes the Chrome browser Your clock is ahead, or Your clock is behind error message?

“Your clock is ahead” or “Your clock is behind” error message is caused by a couple of reasons, like, outdated system time and date, having a faulty CMOS battery, etc. Chrome’s cache and cookies or an expired SSL certificate can also cause a “Your clock is ahead” or “Your clock is behind” error message.

I will tell you more about this problem and how to solve them. If you have to solve yours, hop in and ride till the end.

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How do I fix the Your clock is ahead/behind Google Chrome error?

There are 5 consecutive steps you should try one by one and check if the problem resolves after you follow one. Follow the steps and fix Your clock is ahead, or Your clock is behind error message in the GABC Chrome browser.

1. Configure the Time and Date

The majority of the browsers will give you warnings your date is not correct. But only the Chrome browser will prevent you from accessing a webpage unless your time and date are correct.

Press the Windows
Type run and open it up.
Typecpl and hit Enter. It’ll open up the Date and Time panel.
Select the Internet Time tab, and click on Change settings.
Check the Synchronize with an Internet time saver
Set the server to windows.com and click on Update now. Press OK if needed.
Go to the Date and Time
Click on Change time zone and ensure you got the right one.
Click on Change date and time to make sure the date is accurate.
Check the Notify me when the clock changes box and set Apply.
Click on OK and restart your computer.

Check if the problem is resolved. But if you face the same problem again, I suggest you follow the next step.

2. Replace the CMOS Battery

If you face the issue repeatedly after following the first step, there is a huge chance that your CMOS battery is dead.

The CMOS battery is a chip on the motherboard that contains BIOS configuration, date, time, and other information that the computer needs during startup. When this CMOS battery is dead, or about to die, or there is less power supply, this problem of yours, Your clock is ahead, or Your clock is behind error can occur as CMOS battery is directly responsible for maintaining time when booting up.

Here’s a quick guide on how to change the CMOS battery of your Laptop.

Shut down your laptop and unplug from its power source.
Flip your laptop over and remove the screws until you see the motherboard.
Remove the shiny and round CMOS battery from the motherboard, which looks slightly bigger than a watch battery.
Insert a new battery in the exact location with the same orientation as the previous one.
Rescrew every casing in the laptop.
Reset the time and date following the previous step.

Here’s how to change the CMOS battery of your desktop:

Shut down your PC and unplug all the cables.
Remove the screws on the backside and slide the side panel off.
Locate the motherboard, where you will find a shiny, round metal battery.
Remove the battery from the motherboard, and reinstall the new battery in the same place. Make sure you place it in the correct orientation.
Place the side panel and slide it on.
Attach the screws and connect all the cables.
Reset the time and date following the previous step.

Following this step can solve your issue. But if it doesn’t keep reading, see which one works for your PC.

3. Clear Chrome Cache and Cookies

If you set the Chrome browser as your default browser, this issue can occur due to a temporary file stored by your browser. If a cookie or web cache currently stores outdated time and date information, this problem occurs.

To force Chrome to retrieve the correct date and time, you need to:

Open your Google Chrome and click on the three vertical lines in the top right corner.
Click on Settings and choose Security and Privacy.
Click on Clear browsing data and move to Advanced.
Click on the Time range and select All time.
Press Clear data and move to the Basic tab now.
Ensure you check the Cookies and Cache
Close all the windows.

Caution: Don’t hit “clear data” of Cookies and Cache.

Restart your computer and see if the problem is solved. Yet if you face the problem, read till the end and follow the rest of the steps.

4. Turn on “Set time automatically”

Turning on the automatically set time option is a feasible solution to this problem. To perform this, you have to:

Press Windows key+R to open the Run command box.
Type ms-settings:dateandtime and hit Enter.
Turn on Set time automatically.

You may consider it is a minor solution to solve your problem, but it is not. A lot of times, people get helped by following this problem.

5. Contact the Web Administrator

If you encounter this issue with a particular website, I believe the problem occurs due to an expired security certificate.

If you have the admin login, you must renew the SSL certificate to solve the issue. But if you are not the administrator, it’s beyond your reach. Hope for the case to be resolved by the website admin.

If you can contact the website admin, ask him to renew the SSL certificate.

6. Add a Command-line Argument: Chrome browser

If you are sure enough an SSL error causes this problem; you can avoid this error message by modifying the launching sequence to your Chrome browser. Then it starts with the ignore-certificate-errors as a command-line argument.

This is a critical decision to make whether you want to apply this step or not. You might ask, “Why?”

Because following this procedure will leave your system vulnerable to particular security risks. So, this procedure will ignore any other SSL errors, making you clueless when surfing online.

That’s why think twice before you follow this step.

Close Google Chrome if it’s open.
Right-click on the launching shortcut. Choose Properties from the context menu.
Select the Shortcut tab from the horizontal menu at the top.
Add the ignore-certificate-errors command at the end of the target text box in the Shortcut tab.
Click on Apply and launch Chrome.
Click on Continue at the Access Denied prompt to grant administrative privileges.

Note: If you ever want to get rid of this procedure, reverse the process and delete the command you added to the “Target” command previously.

I believe following the above steps would solve your problem on Your clock is ahead or Your clock is behind error message.

What Causes the SSL Connection Error?

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. All browsers have a default inbuilt certificate list of various SSL’s. In SSL, we use clocks to validate certificates. Certificates used by websites that are considered secure are only issued for a certain period.

If a website presents a certificate with a validity period that doesn’t match the current value of your system’s clock, browsers can’t verify that the connection is secure. Any mismatch in the certificates causes SSL Connection Error in the browser.

Conclusion

Your clock is ahead, or Your clock is behind, or NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID error message can pop up anytime on your screen. There are many ways this issue can appear. But as you see, there are also ways to solve your problem.

Try the steps one by one and resolve your issue efficiently. Comment below whether you solved it or not. Besides, if you have other inquiries, don’t hesitate to let me know.