Set Date - PowerShell

Overview

The Set-Date command in PowerShell allows you to modify the system’s date and time. This can be useful for testing software, ensuring accurate timestamps, or simply adjusting the system time for convenience.

Syntax

Set-Date [[-Date] <DateTime>] [-Format] <String> [-Adjust] <TimeSpan> [-Hour] <Int32> [-Minute] <Int32> [-Second] <Int32> [-Millisecond] <Int32> [-Day] <Int32> [-Month] <Int32> [-Year] <Int32> [-TimeZone] <TimeZoneInfo> [<CommonParameters>]

Options/Flags

  • -Date: Sets the date and time to the specified value. Accepts a DateTime object or a string representing a date and time.
  • -Format: Specifies the date and time format to be used when displaying the result. Default value: “dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss”
  • -Adjust: Adjusts the current date and time by the specified timespan. Accepts a TimeSpan object or a string representing a duration.
  • -Hour: Sets the hour component of the date and time.
  • -Minute: Sets the minute component of the date and time.
  • -Second: Sets the second component of the date and time.
  • -Millisecond: Sets the millisecond component of the date and time.
  • -Day: Sets the day component of the date and time.
  • -Month: Sets the month component of the date and time.
  • -Year: Sets the year component of the date and time.
  • -TimeZone: Specifies the time zone to be used when displaying the result. Accepts a TimeZoneInfo object or a string representing a time zone.

Examples

  • Set the date and time to a specific value:
Set-Date -Date "2023-03-08 14:30:00"
  • Adjust the current time by 2 hours:
Set-Date -Adjust "+02:00"
  • Set the hour and minute components:
Set-Date -Hour 17 -Minute 35
  • Set the date and time using a DateTime object:
$dt = [DateTime]::new(2023, 03, 08, 14, 30, 00)
Set-Date -Date $dt

Common Issues

  • Time Zone Issues: Ensure that the time zone specified with the -TimeZone parameter is correct. Incorrect time zones can result in unexpected date and time values.
  • Invalid Date/Time Values: Verify that the date and time values you specify are valid. Invalid values can cause errors.

Integration

  • Scripting Automation: Automate tasks related to date and time management within PowerShell scripts.
  • Integration with Other Tools: Combine Set-Date with other PowerShell commands or tools, such as Get-Date, to perform advanced date and time operations.
  • Get-Date: Retrieves the current system date and time.
  • Format-Date: Formats a date and time value based on a specified format.
  • TimeZoneInfo: Provides information about time zones.