Windows

Canada time zone change: what Windows and Outlook users must do

British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba did not turn their clocks back on Sunday, November 1, and Microsoft says Windows PCs and Outlook calendars in those provinces need attention to keep the right time. PCs need a recent Windows update, and Outlook users have to switch to a new time zone and check meetings booked past November 1.

By Techieslite ·

Headline reading Canada time zone change: what Windows and Outlook users must do, on a blue background with the Microsoft name

What changed

According to Microsoft's guidance, affected locations in British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba now stay at UTC-07:00, UTC-06:00 and UTC-05:00 respectively instead of falling back an hour. Microsoft says the Alberta change also applies to affected locations in the Northwest Territories, including Yellowknife and Inuvik, and that Northwestern Ontario follows Manitoba.

The Pacific Time (US & Canada) and Mountain Time (US & Canada) zones still fell back an hour on November 1. Microsoft warns that calendar events left on those zones will be off by an hour.

The Windows updates that add the new time zones

Microsoft shipped the changes through regular Windows updates:

Microsoft's support document lists Windows 11 versions 23H2 through 26H2, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 and Windows Server 2016 through 2025 as covered. It also warns that devices on unsupported Windows versions will not receive the time zone update.

Outlook needs a manual change

Updating Windows doesn't fix your calendar. Microsoft says Outlook users must move to the new time zone themselves, and existing events don't migrate automatically. The new options are:

The setting lives under Settings, then Calendar, then View in new Outlook and Outlook on the web, and under File, then Options, then Calendar in classic Outlook. After switching, Microsoft says to open upcoming events and recurring meetings that run past November 1 and change their time zone too. Only the organizer can change a meeting with attendees, and doing so on a recurring series resets any one-off changes to individual meetings, so you'll need to re-create those.

For Outlook for Mac, Microsoft says the new time zones need build 16.114.26102345 or later.

Other Microsoft products affected

Microsoft lists confirmed problems in several business products. Teams Rooms on Windows devices showed the time an hour behind Windows until Edge and WebView2 were updated. Microsoft Bookings may show an error even when a booking succeeds; Microsoft says a fix finishes rolling out by November 4. An Exchange Online PowerShell tool for fixing non-recurring meetings is due by the same date, and an update for on-premises SharePoint is planned for November 10. Teams on desktop, web and mobile, plus Outlook on iOS, Android and Mac, are still being checked.

What it means for you

If you live in BC, Alberta or Manitoba, check your PC's clock today. Microsoft says Windows devices in the affected provinces need the latest Windows updates, so install anything pending. Then change Outlook's calendar time zone and go through meetings booked for the coming weeks.

Unsupported PCs are the weak spot. Microsoft says devices on unsupported versions of Windows won't receive the time zone update. On Windows 10, the fix arrived in KB5126657, which Microsoft lists for PCs enrolled in Extended Security Updates and for the LTSC 2021 editions. Our Windows 10 ESU guide explains how to enroll.

Windows 11 24H2 Home and Pro reached the end of updates on October 13. Those PCs can still install that day's update, which includes the Manitoba change, but Microsoft says they won't get future time zone updates.

Sources