Overview
The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol that enables the synchronization of computer clocks in a network and keeps time accurate. NTP is also used to connect a local clock to an external reference, such as an atomic clock. When you try to start the NTP service, you may encounter this error: "The NTP socket is in use, exiting." This error typically occurs when another program has already opened the socket on the same port but has not yet released the port.
Symptoms
When the NTP socket is already in use, you may encounter this error message upon trying to start the service:
The NTP socket is in use, exiting.
Cause
The NTP socket is in use because another program has already opened the socket on the same port and has not yet released the port. In effect, the socket is locked from any NTP related service.
Resolution
In order to fix the error, you need to find which process or application has acquired the socket and release the connection.
Step 1: Identify the Process
The first step is to identify the process or application that acquired the NTP socket. To identify the process, you can use the command netstat -aob in Command Prompt. The output shows which port and program have acquired the socket.
Step 2: Release the Socket
Once the process has been identified, you can now terminate the process that has acquired the NTP socket. To do this, open a Command Prompt as Administrator. Then type the command taskkill /F /PID <PID>, where <PID> is the process identifier of the application or process identified in step 1.
Step 3: Restart NTP Service
Once the process has been terminated, the NTP socket port can now be used. To start the NTP service, type this command in the Command Prompt: sc start ntpd
FAQs
What is NTP?
NTP (Network Time Protocol) is a protocol that enables the synchronization of computer clocks in a network and keeps time accurate. It can also be used to connect a local clock to an external reference, such as an atomic clock.
What triggers the error "The NTP Socket Is In Use, Exiting"?
This error normally occurs when another program has already opened the socket on the same port but has not yet released the port.
How do I find the process or application that has acquired the NTP socket?
To find the process or application that has acquired the NTP socket, you can use the command netstat -aob in Command Prompt. The output should show the port and the program that has acquired the socket.
How do I terminate the process that has acquired the NTP socket?
To terminate the process that has acquired the NTP socket, open a Command Prompt as Administrator. Then type the command taskkill /F /PID <PID>, where <PID> is the process identifier of the application or process.
How do I start the NTP service?
To start the NTP service, type this command in the Command Prompt: sc start ntpd