Where does Windows store the time zone offset?

Windows stores the time zone offset in the Registry. The Registry is a hierarchical database that keeps configuration settings and options for the operating system and installed applications. Within the Registry, time zone information is located under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Time Zones. This key holds specific data about the time zone, including the standard time offset, daylight saving time adjustments, and more.

The other options do not hold the time zone offset for Windows. The BIOS contains hardware settings and system configuration data, but it does not store information related to the operational settings of the Windows environment such as time zones. The INFO2 file is part of the Windows file system index used by the Recycle Bin to track deleted files, and is not related to time management. The DOS directory or MFT (Master File Table) pertains to file system data management and does not involve the storage of time zone information.