Some of you probably already know what happens when you CMOS battery fails in your computer. I'm only talking desk-top here because I'm not sure that all lap-tops have one.
The CMOS battery is a button battery that is embedded in your computer's motherboard and about the size of a 10 cent bit. It's there to hold vital memory when you turn the power off such as time and BIOS settings.
As I just found out, they are not charged (as you might expect) from the motherboard or any other source. In fact they're not rechargeable at all, although some of the earlier computer batteries were. Within a few years of buying your computer, the battery will fail and the first thing you might notice is that the time won't stick after shutting off the power. A new battery is easily sourced and fitted. All you need is a small Philips head screw-driver to take the cover off your computer, then locate and swap the new battery for the old. After that, things might get tricky.
During this operation, the BIOS will loose it's time and date setting and you have to re-set it. If you don't, when visiting some sites (even ones that you've never had trouble with before) you'll keep getting a warning saying something to the effect that this site is untrusted, or that the "certificate" is out of date and warning you about going there. The recommendation is to "get me out of here."
I won't go into how to fix this here and now, but anyone with a feel for computers will be able to get into the BIOS and set the time and date, after which you'll have no further problems. This is not the same as setting the time and date via the systems tray.
Just thought I'd put it up here in case it happens to anyone else.
oldtrack123 said
10:39 PM Sep 30, 2013
HI
A informative post
Just perhaps a few other pointers
[1]MAKE sure you have disconnected the computer from the supply by pulling out the plug
[2] before touching ANY internal components ensure you do not have an electrostatic charge on your body
At least grab the metal case firmly with a bare hand to discharge your body.
The battery is usualy readily acccesable near the bottom of the mother board
some are just slip in & lock
"WebTime 2000 is a small utility program that will synchronize your PC's internal clock with one of the several atomic clocks maintained by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology."
QueenKombi said
11:13 PM Sep 30, 2013
Great idea Dorian. Thanks for the link.
Thanks also to Oldtrack 123. Electrostatic discharge can do a lot of damage to your motherboard, but not as much damage as the 230 volt input will do to you
D and D said
02:24 AM Oct 1, 2013
Nice little utility, Dorian - thanks for sharing. However, I think it only resyncronises the windows clock and wouldn't effect the BIOS clock, is that right?
dorian said
06:48 AM Oct 2, 2013
Sorry, I wasn't aware that the latest version of WebTime is ad-infested.
I'm using version 3.8. It has no ads. I'm also still using Windows 98SE. Its clock has no Internet Time feature.
In any case I only launch WebTime on demand and exit when the job is done. I hate utilities that silently access the Internet without my knowledge or explicit permission. On the flip side, I do prefer built-in tools to add-ons, so Internet Time would be better in that respect.
Edit: I have just confirmed that WebTime does in fact update the CMOS RTC (realtime clock), not just the Windows clock.
-- Edited by dorian on Wednesday 2nd of October 2013 09:15:23 AM
PeterD said
07:24 AM Oct 2, 2013
There is no need to use an add supported programme to keep your clock on track. Just click on the clock, then click on 'Change on date and time settings.' When the dialogue box comes up click on the 'Internet Time' tab and set your computer up for auto time synchronisation over the internet. The feature is built into Windows and it does not have any nagging advertisement.
D and D said
05:33 AM Oct 4, 2013
Great, thanks for the info Dorian ... still using Windows 98, amazing
Some of you probably already know what happens when you CMOS battery fails in your computer. I'm only talking desk-top here because I'm not sure that all lap-tops have one.
The CMOS battery is a button battery that is embedded in your computer's motherboard and about the size of a 10 cent bit. It's there to hold vital memory when you turn the power off such as time and BIOS settings.
As I just found out, they are not charged (as you might expect) from the motherboard or any other source. In fact they're not rechargeable at all, although some of the earlier computer batteries were. Within a few years of buying your computer, the battery will fail and the first thing you might notice is that the time won't stick after shutting off the power. A new battery is easily sourced and fitted. All you need is a small Philips head screw-driver to take the cover off your computer, then locate and swap the new battery for the old. After that, things might get tricky.
During this operation, the BIOS will loose it's time and date setting and you have to re-set it. If you don't, when visiting some sites (even ones that you've never had trouble with before) you'll keep getting a warning saying something to the effect that this site is untrusted, or that the "certificate" is out of date and warning you about going there. The recommendation is to "get me out of here."
I won't go into how to fix this here and now, but anyone with a feel for computers will be able to get into the BIOS and set the time and date, after which you'll have no further problems. This is not the same as setting the time and date via the systems tray.
Just thought I'd put it up here in case it happens to anyone else.
HI
A informative post
Just perhaps a few other pointers
[1]MAKE sure you have disconnected the computer from the supply by pulling out the plug
[2] before touching ANY internal components ensure you do not have an electrostatic charge on your body
At least grab the metal case firmly with a bare hand to discharge your body.
The battery is usualy readily acccesable near the bottom of the mother board
some are just slip in & lock
PeterQ
www.gregorybraun.com/WebTime.html
"WebTime 2000 is a small utility program that will synchronize your PC's internal clock with one of the several atomic clocks maintained by the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology."
Great idea Dorian. Thanks for the link.
Thanks also to Oldtrack 123. Electrostatic discharge can do a lot of damage to your motherboard, but not as much damage as the 230 volt input will do to you
Sorry, I wasn't aware that the latest version of WebTime is ad-infested.
I'm using version 3.8. It has no ads. I'm also still using Windows 98SE. Its clock has no Internet Time feature.
In any case I only launch WebTime on demand and exit when the job is done. I hate utilities that silently access the Internet without my knowledge or explicit permission. On the flip side, I do prefer built-in tools to add-ons, so Internet Time would be better in that respect.
Edit: I have just confirmed that WebTime does in fact update the CMOS RTC (realtime clock), not just the Windows clock.
-- Edited by dorian on Wednesday 2nd of October 2013 09:15:23 AM