computer clock out of sync

[vegyjones]

my pc clock doesn't seem to work anymore.

it goes along okay when the puter is on,

but when you turn it off and back on again the clock is nowhere near the right time,
and I have now had to resort to synchronising with the windows server clock every time i turn it on :(

[GlosRFC]

Usually the first sign of the CMOS battery giving up the ghost

[Win2Win]

You need to take out the battery...keep it.....and throw the computer away....

[vegyjones]

what's a cmos battery and is it important?

[Mavrick]

I saw my cmos battery the other day when I took my laptop to bits to look at the fans. It's a little watch like battery that is rechargeable and is attached to the motherboard.

I downloaded the manual for my computer from the manufacturers website, and it tells you exactly how to take your computer apart to replace certain bits on it. I'm sure there will be something similar for yours. As long as you are careful it will be really easy to replace, even if you haven't a clue about computers like me. Normally you just need a little phillips and a flat head screw driver.

[Mavrick]

Try leaving your laptop on for 24 hours and this should charge up your CMOS battery and fix your problem.

You could check out this site Vegy

http://www.computerhope.com/help/cmos.htm

The CMOS battery powers something that holds some system data for your computer which will be lost when you remove the battery. You need to back up this data before you disconnect the battery and re-enter it after you have replaced it.

[GlosRFC]

The CMOS battery keeps your BIOS settings...you usually access them by pressing the DEL key when the PC first boots up. Best thing is to navigate through each screen and take a screen shot of them so you've a permanent record.

The other thing it does is to retain the time and date settings when the PC is switched off.

Replacing it is fairly straightforward - you can buy them from Halfords for £1.99 and they're pretty obvious to spot once you get inside the machine.

[presto]

or you could even buy a small clock and put it on top of the PC :)

i had the same problem, and downloaded something called 'atomic clock sync' - just click it every now and again and it updates the time.

[John]

Just get a sticker and stick it in the bottom-right corner of your computer screen, just large enough to cover the area of your clock. That's clock, with an L in it, although it'd probably cover your alternative member too. :)

[vegyjones]

So, from this I gather that it isn't a major catastrophe, and isn't the first step toward my PC conking out? It's just a clock battery by all accounts.

Not to sure about opening up the PC! That sounds a bit complicated for a simpleton like me!

[Win2Win]

http://www.liverepair.com/encycloped...mosreplace.asp

:)

[GlosRFC]

So, from this I gather that it isn't a major catastrophe, and isn't the first step toward my PC conking out? It's just a clock battery by all accounts.

Not to sure about opening up the PC! That sounds a bit complicated for a simpleton like me!

Opening it is easy - usually just involves undoing a couple of thumbscrews and then sliding the panel out. It's what you do inside that can cause problems. But changing the battery is easy enough. Like you say, it's not critical in terms of time-keeping but it can be critical if you don't have a bog-standard machine that relies on different BIOS settings. I found this out when my battery went - my RAID array went squiffy because the settings are stored in the BIOS. Not a big problem as all I had to do was reset the BIOS to recognise the SATA array rather than separate ATA but it's the kind of thing that can confuse an average user. Plus there's a host of other little settings in there that can be unique to your PC. A good bit of advice for any PC owner is to go into your BIOS settings at least once when you boot the machine and make a record of them for future reference when the battery eventually expires.

[vegyjones]

SO just as a quick clarification on this.

Should I replace the battery, leave it alone, or will leaving my computer on for 24 hours+ recharge it?

[sparkyminer]

Replace the battery after doing a screenshot of all your BIOS settings and printing them out.

[vegyjones]

Will I nneed to re enter all the bios after I have replaced the battery?

[GlosRFC]

No, but it will automatically default to a standard setting which might not be appropriate for your PC. So it's handy if, like Sparky said, you have a copy of the current settings so you know which of the many options you need to change back.

The alternative is to poke your fingers into the back of your machine while it's still plugged into the mains.

[MarcusMel]

Will I nneed to re enter all the bios after I have replaced the battery?

The only thing you may really need to check is the hard drive settings.

Most of the time the default settings will be the ones you need. Computer speeds can sometimes be made faster by tweaking the bios settings. However best to be sure that you keep the settings you started with.

It depends a LOT on the type of motherboard you have, the chipsets that the motherboard uses. CMOS memory can sometimes survive a short power loss as the C stands for capacitance and capacitors can hold their charge when there is no power flowing.

[GlosRFC]

Yup, good last point there which is often forgotten. I didn't have to change any of my BIOS settings when I changed the battery but it's still a good idea to take a record of them anyway. Most modern BIOS's will have an option to automatically detect the HD settings too.

[vegyjones]

Much appreciated people!

This site is so much better than just googling a problem.

The answers are more specific and much better explained! :)

I'm going to try and change the battery over Easter!
If I disappear from the forum at any time, then I have had somewhat of a hiccup!

[Win2Win]

1 Hour and counting.....he's gone

[GlosRFC]

1 Hour and counting.....he's gone

And I didn't even have to remind him to make sure his hands are nice and wet before he wiggles his pinkies inside the bowels of his PC :D

[vegyjones]

I filanny plucked up the cougare to change the barrety on my tuper!

Apart from begin a bit slow, all seems to be working prollerpy!

[Win2Win]

Spell checker is out of sync now :wink

[sparkyminer]

CMOS memory can sometimes survive a short power loss as the C stands for capacitance and capacitors can hold their charge when there is no power flowing.

Only just noticed this.
No it doesn't.
The C stands for Complementary as the complete acronym stands for:-

Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor

Nobody likes a know-all.:D

[Win2Win]

All these are legit:
Cerebral Muscle Operation Synapse
Cargo Movement Operating System
Can't Motivate Online Slackers
Canadian Meteorological And Oceanographic Society
Computer Minimum Operating System
Configuration Memory Operating System
Coats-Mellon Operational Specification

[sparkyminer]

All these are legit:
Cerebral Muscle Operation Synapse
Cargo Movement Operating System
Can't Motivate Online Slackers
Canadian Meteorological And Oceanographic Society
Computer Minimum Operating System
Configuration Memory Operating System
Coats-Mellon Operational Specification

Like I said:-

Nobody likes a know-all.:D

:D

[John]

Can't Motivate Online Slackers

Damn straight!

[Win2Win]

Damn straight!

I never said you wus gay lah!! :D