'CMOS Battery Low' Message ???

[Toppack]

I have a friend that has a desk-top computer that started displaying a message at Start-up, that CMOS/BIOS Battery is Low.

Also we can not save any changes in the Bios, such as set the clock and calender.

We determined that it does Not have a low battery since she replaced it with a New battery that measures 3.2 volts.

It appears that the battery voltage is not getting to the chip.

We checked for loose connections at battery-holder, clear-CMOS-jumper and BIOS chip and found No problems.

 

Has anyone here seen this problem ?

I can Not figure out what could be causing it unless there is an open conductor inside the Mobo???

And I tend to get very Depressed when I can't solve a problem like this ??? :roll:

:lol:

[Melvin_Deal]

Hi Toppack! Have you verified that the new battery is not defective? Do you have a volt meter to check it with?

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and proaper?

[Toppack]

Hi Toppack! Have you verified that the new battery is not defective? Do you have a volt meter to check it with?

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and proaper?

 

Yes, the new battery measures 3.2 volts.

The old battery was still at 3.0 volts so it should be good also.

I have read that as long as it's greater than 1.8 volts (under load in the computer) it should work.

[solbjerg]

Hi Toppack

The standard CMOS battery is the CR2032 type and have 3 volts

There is also a BR2032 type that have 2.8 volts but this is seldom used in ordinary computers.

I would recommend to get an exact duplicate of the original cmos battery for replacement.

 

About the time - have you checked in services if the time is on automatic or has been turned off?

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

Yes, the new battery measures 3.2 volts.

The old battery was still at 3.0 volts so it should be good also.

I have read that as long as it's greater than 1.8 volts (under load in the computer) it should work.

[Toppack]

She got a new battery with same number as old one.

 

The problem is that when you get that message you have two options:

key F1 for Bios or F2 for OS.

when in Bios you can make changes but when you do 'Save and Exit'

the changes are Not Saved. The Bios settings all go to Default and the Date/time does not stay changed.

Same thing happens if you set Date/time in Windows OS, the settings will not stay after a Re-boot.

 

I've only found one other person reporting this, when I did an Internet search,

and No one replied with a logical answer.

 

I think the next step will be to pull the Mobo and see if there is anything loose or shorted on back-side of board.

Like maybe a bad solder-joint at the battery-holder.

[solbjerg]

Hi Toppack

Did her original battery also say 3.2 volts?

 

It could possibly be a cold solder joint, - does it happen all the time or in intervals? - this reminds me of an old screen I had that started to become black once in a while, and I opened it up and reheated about half the solder joints (this took several hours) - after that I had the screen for some more years :-)

Cheers

solbjerg

 

She got a new battery with same number as old one.

 

The problem is that when you get that message you have two options:

key F1 for Bios or F2 for OS.

when in Bios you can make changes but when you do 'Save and Exit'

the changes are Not Saved. The Bios settings all go to Default and the Date/time does not stay changed.

Same thing happens if you set Date/time in Windows OS, the settings will not stay after a Re-boot.

 

I've only found one other person reporting this, when I did an Internet search,

and No one replied with a logical answer.

 

I think the next step will be to pull the Mobo and see if there is anything loose or shorted on back-side of board.

Like maybe a bad solder-joint at the battery-holder.

[Toppack]

Did her original battery also say 3.2 volts?

 

No, both have 3V stamped into them,

the new one read 3.2v on voltmeter.

 

I also determined that there is No voltage at any of the 8 terminals of the Bios-Chip. :shock: when P-supply is off.

I got the computer all apart and found No obvious problem with connections,

I would next do continuity testing but since most conductors are inside board, I'm not sure where they go and I don't have another board, of that type, to compare it with. :sad:

 

I'm really feeling Guilty since she said she would make a Pecan-Pie for me, for trying to fix it. :roll:

[solbjerg]

Ok Toppack

Good luck - and good appetite :-)

Just the willingness to try to help is worth at least a pecan pie :-)

Cheer

solbjerg

 

No, both have 3V stamped into them,

the new one read 3.2v on voltmeter.

 

I also determined that there is No voltage at any of the 8 terminals of the Bios-Chip. :shock: when P-supply is off.

I got the computer all apart and found No obvious problem with connections,

I would next do continuity testing but since most conductors are inside board, I'm not sure where they go and I don't have another board, of that type, to compare it with. :sad:

 

I'm really feeling Guilty since she said she would make a Pecan-Pie for me, for trying to fix it. :roll:

[Toppack]

Well, since it's such a Good Pie, I suppose I'll have to try find her a good deal on a replacement board. :-D

The CPU and RAM are fairly recent (Athlon-II X2 and DDR3),

so it should not be a big problem finding a good board for less than $50.

since she does not need anything special or fancy.

[Toppack]

I got her computer 'Up & Running'. :-D

 

I found a used but Good and Similar Mobo, for low price,

so we are both Happy. :-D

 

She gave me the old Mobo, so I can use it for testing of new parts,

(since you can get into OS by F2 key,)

such as RAM-modules, PSUs, CPUs, etc. ,

(since it's a late model board, MSI 890).

[solbjerg]

Hi Toppack

Good work!!

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

I got her computer 'Up & Running'. :-D

 

I found a used but Good and Similar Mobo, for low price,

so we are both Happy. :-D

 

She gave me the old Mobo, so I can use it for testing of new parts,

(since you can get into OS by F2 key,)

such as RAM-modules, PSUs, CPUs, etc. ,

(since it's a late model board, MSI 890).

[Toppack]

Well, the defective Motherboard suddenly started working Again. :shock:

I was using it to test a new SATA CD/DVD drive and the only thing I had done at the Mobo was to remove an IDE Ribbon-cable that was plugged into it.

(It was the cable she had used with an old CD drive)

I'm starting to think there was something in the I/O-connector or cable, shorting pins,

but how that could cause the BIOS Not to Save and the clock not to operate, I have No Idea ??? :shock:

 

I think I will disable that IDE port, in the BIOS, since I will only be using SATA type drives from now on anyway.

All my old IDE drives will be going to the Re-cycle trash-bin. :lol: