Editor’s note 4.9.2024: Microsoft has released all Windows updates necessary to address these changes. We have updated the table below and published a new post: Kazakhstan 2024 time zone update now available
On December 7, 2023, the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration proposed that Kazakhstan switch to single time zone in 2024. Specifically, Kazakhstan would uniformly apply the fifth time zone (UTC+5) across its entire territory.
Based on the government article published on January 29, 2024, it appears that the DST time change was approved.
Prior to March 1, 2024, Kazakhstan used two time zones: UTC+5 and UTC+6.
The impact of this change is as follows:
On March 1, 2024, the cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, as well as the following regions will turn back the local time by one hour: Abai, Akmola, Almaty, Zhambyl, Zhetisu, Karagandy, Kostanai, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan, Turkistan, Ulytau, and East Kazakhstan.
The following platforms will receive an update to support this time zone change as part of the March 2024 non-security preview update or the April 2024 security update:
- Windows Server 23H2
- Windows 11, version 22H2 and version 23H2
- Windows 11, version 21H2
- Windows 10, version 22H2; Windows 10, version 21H2
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019; Windows Server 2019
- Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2016; Windows Server 2016
- Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB
Interim guidance
We recommend that affected organizations with devices in Kazakhstan use the following workarounds between March 1 and April 9, 2024: temporarily disable automatic time adjustments in Windows and/or set a different time zone to reflect the correct local time.
Temporarily disable automatic time adjustments in Windows
Temporarily disable automatic time adjustments in Windows to reflect the correct local time between March 1 and April 9, 2024.
This can be done in the following way:
- Go to Control Panel > Time and language > Date and Time > and uncheck the option for “Set time zone automatically.”
Re-enable automatic time adjustments in Windows.
After 10:00 A.M. on April 9, 2024, re-enable automatic time zone adjustments and ensure accurate time switching with future transitions.
This can be done in the following way:
- Go to Control Panel > Time and language > Date and Time > and check the option for “Set time zone automatically.”
Temporarily set a different time zone on the devices
Microsoft recommends that users temporarily set the time zone on their devices to (UTC+5) Qyzylorda. Selecting this time zone will ensure that devices reflect the correct local time. (Note: events that have occurred in the past, before the update, will not show correctly.)
This can be done in the following way:
- Navigate to Control Panel > Time and language > Date and Time. From the time zone dropdown, select (UTC+5) Qyzylorda. Select OK to apply the change.
For additional information, please review our official policy page and How Windows manages time zone change.
