How to display seconds on Windows system clock

Did you know that you can display seconds on the Taskbar? By default, you can click on the time displayed on the Taskbar and a pop-up will display the time with seconds. If you want them to always be displayed on the Taskbar to know the exact time to the second, then keep these methods in mind!

• Some effective tricks to customize the Taskbar on Windows 10

Add seconds to the clock by changing system settings

One of the most popular and easiest ways to add seconds to your system tray clock is to change the system settings. Here's how:

1. Open the Settings menu by pressing the Win + I hotkey .

2. Select Personalization from the left pane, then select the Taskbar option in the following window.

3. Click the drop-down icon next to Taskbar behaviors .

4. Scroll down and check the Show seconds in the system tray clock box .

All operations are complete. Close the settings menu and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

Note that this method will only work with Windows 11. If you have Windows 10 or 8, you can try the other methods mentioned below.

Display seconds on the system clock using Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell

If you are a power user, you can run commands in Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell to configure the display of seconds on the system tray clock. To do this in Command Prompt, follow the instructions below:

1. Open the Start menu by pressing the Win key.

2. In the search bar, type CMD and select Run as administrator from the right pane.

3. Type the following command into the Command Prompt window with admin rights and press Enter.

powershell.exe Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced -Name ShowSecondsInSystemClock -Value 1 -Force

Now, to do this in Windows PowerShell, follow the steps below:

1. In the Start menu search bar, type PowerShell and select Run as administrator from the right pane.

2. Type the following command into the PowerShell window with admin rights and press Enter.

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced -Name ShowSecondsInSystemClock -Value 1 -Force

All done! Your system clock now shows extra seconds.

If you want to remove seconds from the system clock, you can also do it using Command Prompt and PowerShell. To do this using Command Prompt, execute the following command in a CMD window with admin rights.

powershell.exe Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced -Name ShowSecondsInSystemClock -Value 0 -Force

And to do this using PowerShell, run the following command in a PowerShell window with admin rights.

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced -Name ShowSecondsInSystemClock -Value 0 -Force

How to Display Seconds by Editing the Registry

Warning:

Registry Editor is a powerful tool and misusing it can render your system unstable or even inoperable. This is a fairly simple procedure and as long as you follow the instructions, you shouldn't have any problems.

However, if you've never worked with the Registry Editor before, learn how to use the Registry Editor before you get started. And remember to back up the Registry (and your computer!) before making changes!

Start by opening the Registry Editor . Type regedit into the Start menu and launch the utility. Accept the administrator prompt and you will be in the Registry. As always, be careful here as one wrong move can cause system problems.

Unlock Advanced key by following this path:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Right-click the Advanced folder in the left sidebar. Select New > DWORD (32-bit Value).

Name it ShowSecondsInSystemClock.

Next, double-click this value in the right panel. In the Value data field , set the value to 1 . Click OK to save the changes, then close Registry Editor. After you sign out and sign back in to your account, you should see the seconds displayed on the clock.

If you don't want to display the seconds anymore, go back to the Registry, change the value to 0 or delete it.

How to display seconds using ZIP file

If you don’t want to edit the Registry yourself, you can use the following downloadable registry hacks. There are two hacks: One that will display the seconds in the system clock, and one that will reverse the change and hide the seconds from the clock. Both are included in this ZIP file . Double-click the hack you want to use, agree to the prompts, then log out and log back in for the changes to take effect.

These hacks also set the ShowSecondsInSystemClock value in a similar way to the one described above. Running the "Show Seconds In System Clock" file will create a ShowSecondsInSystemClock value with a value data of 1 , while running the "Remove Seconds From System Clock" file will remove the ShowSecondsInSystemClock value from your Registry.

If you’re curious to see what these or any other .reg files do, you can right-click on them and select “Edit” to view their contents in Notepad. And, if you enjoy experimenting with the Registry, you should learn how to create your own registry hacks.

You may also be interested in displaying the current day of the week on the taskbar clock . This can be done without accessing the Registry, as you can easily customize the date format that appears below the time from the standard Control Panel interface.

Good luck!