One of the interesting facts about the Windows system is that during the development of the taskbar in beta versions of Windows 95, the clock used to show the seconds counter, but for reasons of performance, the company decided to limit itself to displaying the minutes and hours counter only. Microsoft justified its decision in an old document that adding seconds would lead to a continuous update of the time (every second), and this in turn was an unnecessary burden on the device's resources, which were very limited at the time (the nineties). However, even with the evolution of computers to their current state, Microsoft did not add the feature of accurate display of the time in the taskbar, whether we are talking about Windows 10 or 11. Fortunately, there are several ways in which this matter can be circumvented, as we explain below.
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| Show seconds in the taskbar clock on Windows 10 and Windows 11 |
Method 1: Modify the registry (Windows 10 only)
In Windows 10, it is already possible to add a seconds counter to the clock in the taskbar without installing any additional software, through a hidden setting in the system that can only be activated by modifying the registry. So, first, we need to run the Registry Editor tool in Windows 10, either by searching for it by pressing the Win + letter S keys, or by opening the Run window by pressing the Win + letter R keys together, then typing the command [regedit] and pressing Enter to open tool window.
After the Registry Editor window appears, use the left sidebar to move to the following path, or copy and paste the path into the address bar above, then press Enter:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
After accessing the Advanced folder, right-click on it, then point the mouse pointer over the "New" option, and from the drop-down list select "DWORD (32-bit) Value" to create a new value inside the Advanced folder.
The new value should be named [ShowSecondsInSystemClock]. After modifying the name, press Enter and then double-click the new value to open the Edit Value window, from which we write the number “1” in the Value data field, then finally press “OK” and close the Registry Editor window.
After that, you have to restart your computer. to process your changes. Alternatively, open the Task Manager tool through the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc together, then in the window that appears, press "More details" and in the "Processes" field, find the Windows Explorer process, after you find it, click Right-click on it and select "Restart". You should now notice the seconds counter on the hour appears on the taskbar, along with the minutes and hours counter.
Note also that if you find it difficult to apply the previous steps to modify the registry, you can download this file, which we have prepared to contain all the required modifications. Once it is run, the modifications will be applied immediately. But if you want to remove the seconds counter and go back to the default, you can undo the modifications through another ready-made file that we also prepared.
Method 2: Through the taskbar settings (Windows 11 only)
Windows 11 may appear to be an exact copy of Windows 10 with an improved graphical interface with a better and simpler design, and it is, but for the taskbar, Microsoft has rebuilt it from scratch instead of adopting and improving the Windows 10 taskbar, and this is the reason behind the lack of the Windows 11 taskbar The usual features such as changing the size of the bar or moving it up or to the sides of the screen. This is also why the previous method fails if you try to apply it in Windows 11.
The solution was to wait for Microsoft until it added an option that allows seconds to be displayed in the taskbar clock, and indeed the company recently launched the Insider Preview Build 25247 for Windows 11, which includes an option within the settings that allows the seconds counter to be displayed in the taskbar clock, and this option is activated by opening Settings application, go to the Personalization section, then click on Taskbar, and in the Taskbar behaviors section, put a checkmark (✔) next to “Show seconds in system tray clock” so that the seconds counter appears in the taskbar.
As of the time of editing these lines, this option is only available in trial versions of Windows 11. However, this is a clear indication of Microsoft's interest in providing this required ability, despite its simplicity, to accurately display the timing in upcoming Windows 11 versions.
Read also
- The most important new features that will arrive in Windows 11 in 2023
- 15 Programs & Apps for Windows 10 for Any New PC
- How to change the font in Windows 11 | Change the default font
- How to download and install Windows 11 officially in detail
- Microsoft releases a list of processors that will support Windows 11
Method 3: Using the ElevenClock App
If you cannot wait for Microsoft to come up with a new update for Windows 11 that adds the option to display the seconds counter in the taskbar clock, you can use a wonderful and free program called ElevenClock that allows many modifications to the taskbar clock, including adding the seconds counter, after installing and running the program, open The ElevenClock Settings window from the Start menu, then head to the “Date & Time Settings” section and enable the “Show seconds on the clock” option for the changes to be applied immediately.
As it turns out, ElevenClock professionally adds a seconds counter to the taskbar clock as if it were a built-in option. Other changes can be made such as showing the clock when the taskbar is set to hide automatically, hiding the notification indicator next to the clock, or even customizing the font, color, and size of the numbers.
