P/Invoking SetTimezoneInformation() causes DateTime.Now to return an incorrect local time

Author: Christopher Tacke MVP

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SUMMARY

Modifying the device's Timezone Bias through Platform Invocation makes all subsequent calls to DateTime.Now within the same process incorrect.

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SYMPTOMS

After setting the TImezone bias by P/Invoking SetTimezoneInformation, DateTime.Now returns a different result than P/Invoking the GetLocalTime() API

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The compact framework execution engine (EE) loads the TimeZoneInformation into the AppDomain during creation. P/Invoking SetTimezoneInformation() modifies the devices clock, but the EE cache is unaware of the change and does not take modifications into account.

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RESOLUTION

Do not use DateTime.Now inside any application or library that either modifies the timezone bias or that may be affected by other processes modifying the timezone bias.

For reliability P/Invoke either GetSystemTime() or GetLocalTime() as follows:

[ C# ]


[DllImport("coredll", EntryPoint="GetSystemTime", SetLastError=true)]
internal static extern void GetSystemTime(out SYSTEMTIME st);
 
[DllImport("coredll", EntryPoint="GetLocalTime", SetLastError=true)]
internal static extern void GetLocalTime(out SYSTEMTIME st);
 
[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
public class SYSTEMTIME
{
    public short wYear;
    public short wMonth;
    public short wDayOfWeek;
    public short wDay;
    public short wHour;
    public short wMinute;
    public short wSecond;
    public short wMilliseconds;
}

[ VB ]


    Private Declare Sub GetLocalTime Lib "coredll.dll" (<Out()> ByVal st As SYSTEMTIME)

    Private Declare Sub GetSystemTime Lib "coredll.dll" (<Out()> ByVal st As SYSTEMTIME)

    <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)> _
    Public Class SYSTEMTIME
        Public wYear As Short
        Public wMonth As Short
        Public wDayOfWeek As Short
        Public wDay As Short
        Public wHour As Short
        Public wMinute As Short
        Public wSecond As Short
        Public wMilliseconds As Short
    End Class

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft .NET Compact Framework

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kbpubmvp kbpubtypecca kbhowto KB555035

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