Get the seconds display on the system clock present in the Windows 10 taskbar by making a small change in Registry Editor.
The clock displayed at the bottom right of Windows 10 may be practical, but it lacks an essential element: the display of seconds. If Microsoft does not offer any official option in Windows settings to easily activate the seconds in its clock, there is a little simple manipulation to implement to get them.
Here’s how to display the seconds in the Windows 10 clock.
1. Create a restore point
To perform the manipulation, we need to modify some values ​​in the Windows registry. This element of the operating system can be sensitive, it is better to ensure your back by creating a restore point. In the event of a problem or malfunction, you can easily go back and find a perfectly functioning machine.
To create a restore point, click on the Start menu and type Create a restore point and open the app.
In the System Properties window that opens, click Create, then fill in a short description for your restore point. Then click on Create to validate the creation of your restore point.
2. Open Registry Editor
To open the Windows Registry Editor, use the Windows + R keyboard shortcut and type Regedit in the Open field of the Run window and validate by clicking OK.
3. Navigate in the registry
When the Registry Editor window appears, copy and paste the following path into the dedicated field to access the working directory:
Computer HKEY_CURRENT_USER Software Microsoft Windows CurrentVersion Explorer Advanced
4. Create a new value
In the right pane, right click, go to New, then choose to create a 32-bit DWORD Value that you will name ShowSecondsInSystemClock.
5. Modify the value
Then double click on the ShowSecondsInSystemClock value you just created. In the window that appears, replace the 0 by 1 in the Value data and validate your modifications by clicking on OK.
6. Restart your PC
Close the Windows Registry Editor window and restart your machine.
If everything went as planned, the Windows system clock at the bottom right of the taskbar should now display the seconds count.
You can easily go back and choose not to display the seconds. To do this, repeat the previous step, and replace the data of the value 1 by 0 to deactivate the seconds.
You will then need to restart your machine again for these changes to take effect.