CMOS Battery

[Mike Mulligan]

I have an 'old' computer (ca. 1997) sitting on a shelf, waiting to be used
some day in a home network. The computer has been unplugged (i.e., no
electricity) for months, and will continue to be unplugged for many more
months.

Will the CMOS battery eventually give out, (causing the loss of all BIOS
information)? How long before this happens?

Thanks for your advice.

Mike Mulligan

[Alvin A Brown]

Hello

Your cpu battery is similar to your clock or watch battery ok and
at some point it will go out. I would maybe search the maker of your
pc and get a repalcement or look for one.

Mike Mulligan wrote:

> I have an 'old' computer (ca. 1997) sitting on a shelf, waiting to be used
> some day in a home network. The computer has been unplugged (i.e., no
> electricity) for months, and will continue to be unplugged for many more
> months.
>
> Will the CMOS battery eventually give out, (causing the loss of all BIOS
> information)? How long before this happens?
>
> Thanks for your advice.
>
> Mike Mulligan

[Jim Macklin]

Open the computer, look for the battery. It is commonly a
2032 about an inch in diameter and held in a snap socket.
Buy a new battery, available almost anywhere (they're used
in garage door openers, too) for about $2.00 at WalMart.
Pop the old battery out and put the new battery in, you'll
have a few minutes to do this before the capacitors
discharge and the BIOS data is lost. But even that is no
problem IF you have the specs on the hard drive because you
can set up all the data manually. Older components had to
have their specs entered, newer computer hardware identifies
itself.
Plug it in and see if it still boots, if it does the BIOS is
still valid. Enter the BIOS and write down the settings and
put the list inside the computer, in an envelope tapes to a
panel. The when you need to repair the computer, you'll
have the data. Include the Product Key and a list of
software.


"Mike Mulligan" > wrote in message
...
| I have an 'old' computer (ca. 1997) sitting on a shelf,
waiting to be used
| some day in a home network. The computer has been
unplugged (i.e., no
| electricity) for months, and will continue to be unplugged
for many more
| months.
|
| Will the CMOS battery eventually give out, (causing the
loss of all BIOS
| information)? How long before this happens?
|
| Thanks for your advice.
|
| Mike Mulligan
|
|

[Mike Mulligan]

Great advice. Thanks very much!

Mike Mulligan

"Jim Macklin" > wrote in message
...
> Open the computer, look for the battery. It is commonly a
> 2032 about an inch in diameter and held in a snap socket.
> Buy a new battery, available almost anywhere (they're used
> in garage door openers, too) for about $2.00 at WalMart.
> Pop the old battery out and put the new battery in, you'll
> have a few minutes to do this before the capacitors
> discharge and the BIOS data is lost. But even that is no
> problem IF you have the specs on the hard drive because you
> can set up all the data manually. Older components had to
> have their specs entered, newer computer hardware identifies
> itself.
> Plug it in and see if it still boots, if it does the BIOS is
> still valid. Enter the BIOS and write down the settings and
> put the list inside the computer, in an envelope tapes to a
> panel. The when you need to repair the computer, you'll
> have the data. Include the Product Key and a list of
> software.
>
>
> "Mike Mulligan" > wrote in message
> ...
> | I have an 'old' computer (ca. 1997) sitting on a shelf,
> waiting to be used
> | some day in a home network. The computer has been
> unplugged (i.e., no
> | electricity) for months, and will continue to be unplugged
> for many more
> | months.
> |
> | Will the CMOS battery eventually give out, (causing the
> loss of all BIOS
> | information)? How long before this happens?
> |
> | Thanks for your advice.
> |
> | Mike Mulligan
> |
> |
>
>

[Jim Macklin]

Documentation is important.


"Mike Mulligan" > wrote in message
...
| Great advice. Thanks very much!
|
| Mike Mulligan
|
| "Jim Macklin" > wrote in message
| ...
| > Open the computer, look for the battery. It is commonly
a
| > 2032 about an inch in diameter and held in a snap
socket.
| > Buy a new battery, available almost anywhere (they're
used
| > in garage door openers, too) for about $2.00 at WalMart.
| > Pop the old battery out and put the new battery in,
you'll
| > have a few minutes to do this before the capacitors
| > discharge and the BIOS data is lost. But even that is
no
| > problem IF you have the specs on the hard drive because
you
| > can set up all the data manually. Older components had
to
| > have their specs entered, newer computer hardware
identifies
| > itself.
| > Plug it in and see if it still boots, if it does the
BIOS is
| > still valid. Enter the BIOS and write down the settings
and
| > put the list inside the computer, in an envelope tapes
to a
| > panel. The when you need to repair the computer, you'll
| > have the data. Include the Product Key and a list of
| > software.
| >
| >
| > "Mike Mulligan" > wrote in message
| > ...
| > | I have an 'old' computer (ca. 1997) sitting on a
shelf,
| > waiting to be used
| > | some day in a home network. The computer has been
| > unplugged (i.e., no
| > | electricity) for months, and will continue to be
unplugged
| > for many more
| > | months.
| > |
| > | Will the CMOS battery eventually give out, (causing
the
| > loss of all BIOS
| > | information)? How long before this happens?
| > |
| > | Thanks for your advice.
| > |
| > | Mike Mulligan
| > |
| > |
| >
| >
|
|

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

CMOS batteries do give out, like any other batteries. Most are
good for 5 or 6 years, which is normally longer than the useful life
of most PCs.

Bruce Chambers

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having both at once. -- RAH


"Mike Mulligan" > wrote in message
...
> I have an 'old' computer (ca. 1997) sitting on a shelf, waiting to
be used
> some day in a home network. The computer has been unplugged (i.e.,
no
> electricity) for months, and will continue to be unplugged for many
more
> months.
>
> Will the CMOS battery eventually give out, (causing the loss of all
BIOS
> information)? How long before this happens?
>
> Thanks for your advice.
>
> Mike Mulligan
>
>