The system tray clock on the right side of the Windows taskbar only shows the hour and minute by default. While most users are comfortable with this digital clock pattern, others also want the clock to display seconds.
So, if you want the system tray to display clock seconds, this is where you should be. In this article, we will go through three different ways by which you can configure the System Tray Clock to display seconds.
1. Add seconds to system tray clock by changing system settings
One of the most preferred and easiest ways to add seconds to system tray clock is by changing system settings.
That’s it. Close the Settings menu and restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Note that this method will only work for Windows 11. If you have Windows 10 or 8, you can try the other methods mentioned below.
2. Add Seconds to the System Tray Clock Using the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell
If you’re a power user, you can run commands in the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell to configure the System Tray Clock to display the seconds. To do this in Command Prompt, follow the instructions below.
That’s it. Now you have system track clock with seconds.
If you want to remove seconds from System Track Lock, you can do so using Command Prompt and PowerShell as well. To do this using Command Prompt, execute the following command in an elevated Command Prompt window.
And to do so using PowerShell, run the following command in an elevated PowerShell window.
3. Add Seconds to the System Tray Clock Using Registry Editor
Another method by which you can configure the system tray clock to display the seconds is by editing the Windows Registry. However, before moving on to the steps below, take a backup of the registry. Since Registry Editor is a powerful tool, any wrong move can make your computer unstable.
Find the value named ShowSecondsInSystemClock in the left pane and double-click on it. If this value does not exist, right-click the Advanced key in the left pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name the value ShowSecondsInSystemClock and press Enter.
You may have to restart your computer to see the changes.
If you want to remove seconds from the clock, type 0 in the Value data. You can also remove the ShowSecondsInSystemClock entry.
Make Windows Taskbar Clock to Show Seconds
Microsoft removed the ability to display seconds on the system tray clock a long time ago. But now you have the option to add it again. You can use any one of the above methods to configure the taskbar clock to display the seconds.
In the meantime, you might be interested in giving a personal touch to the system tray clock.
The system tray clock on the right side of the Windows taskbar is kinda boring. Wouldn’t it be great if you could choose from a variety of different skins for the system tray clock and spruce it up a bit? Alas, Windows doesn’t let you do this by default, and instead forces you to work with a bland, basic clock.
However, you can change the skin of the system tray clock with an app called Free Desktop Clock. This is a freeware program that includes nine optional skins for the system tray clock. And with the app, you can change the appearance of the system clock on Windows 10, 8, 7, and XP.
How to install Free Desktop Clock
To download Free Desktop Clock, open the Free Desktop Clock page in your favorite browser. Then, click on the blue Download button to save the program’s setup wizard.
Once you have the file downloaded, double-click on the freeclock.exe file to open the setup wizard and install the software.
How to choose a new system tray clock skin
Once everything is set up, open the Free Desktop Clock window. Click Skin on the left side of the window. Select Enable tray clock if that option is not already checked. Then on that tab select one of the skins and click OK to add it to the system tray clock as in the screenshot directly below.
You can add more details to the System Tray Clock with additional settings. Click Show date and Show day of week to include the date and day details with the clock. Selecting Show percentage of memory in use displays the RAM usage percentage on your PC.
To change the background color of the clock, click the Default background drop-down menu. Select the Color background option. Then click on the palette box to choose a different color from there. You can also apply some transparency to the clock by adjusting the value of the Transparent setting.
How to add different time zone clocks
Free Desktop Clock includes options that show clocks for different time zones. Such watches can come in handy if you ever need to check the time in another country before making an international phone call. Click on the Time Zone tab to see those options.