The system clock may run fast when you use the ACPI power management timer as a high-resolution counter on Windows 2000-based, Windows XP-based, and Windows Server 2003-based computers (821893)

SYMPTOMS

When a Microsoft Windows 2000-based, Microsoft Windows XP-based, or Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based computer runs in Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) mode and uses the ACPI Power Management Timer (PMTimer) as a high-resolution counter, the system clock may run fast.

CAUSE

This issue may occur if the time increment in a program changes and the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) cannot measure the time interval between successive clock interrupts. This causes the system clock to lose a short period of time. When the HAL misses many time-interval measurements in quick succession, the time loss may be significant.

Note

This issue may occur on a computer that is running Halaapic.dll (UP, ACPI, or APIC), Halmacpi.dll (MP, ACPI, or APIC), and Halmps.dll (MP, non-ACPI, or legacy) because these DLLs use the Real Time Clock (RTC) to generate clock interrupts.
This issue does not occur on a computer that is running Halacpi.dll (UP, ACPI, or PIC) or Halx86.dll (UP, non-ACPI, or legacy) because these DLLs use the 8254 Programmable Interval Timer (PIT) to generate clock interrupts.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods:

Modify the program to call the timeBeginPeriod function at startup and to call the timeEndPeriod function on exit. This workaround eliminates repeated time increment changes.
Modify the program to use the QueryPerformanceCounter() API.