Why does my CMOS memory get erased???

Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets erased, and I have to
take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea why this may be
happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations coming from my home
socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else which might be responsible? I
am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD Athlon XP 1800+, with 1.49 GHz, and 512 MB
of RAM. Thanks,

-Charles

"Charles Shahar" <charles19@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:NJf9c.52505$re.2854971@news20.bellglobal.com...
> Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets erased, and I have
to
> take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea why this may be
> happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations coming from my home
> socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else which might be responsible? I
> am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD Athlon XP 1800+, with 1.49 GHz, and 512
MB
> of RAM. Thanks,
>
> -Charles
>
>

it could be a dead cmos battery...
you can probably replace it yourself...
they normally last (approx) 5 years

Sounds like you are a money source for the technician. To
check on the power, why not buy a quality UPS, a battery
backed surge suppressor. But most likely you have a dead
CMOS battery. If the tech has not changed it, you need a
better tech.

If he has been changing the battery, I suspect either he is
using old batteries or you have a bad mobo that is shorting
the battery.


"Charles Shahar" <charles19@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:NJf9c.52505$re.2854971@news20.bellglobal.com...
| Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets
erased, and I have to
| take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea
why this may be
| happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations
coming from my home
| socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else which might
be responsible? I
| am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD Athlon XP 1800+, with
1.49 GHz, and 512 MB
| of RAM. Thanks,
|
| -Charles
|
|

Charles Shahar wrote:
> Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets erased, and I
> have to take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea
> why this may be happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations
> coming from my home socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else
> which might be responsible? I am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD Athlon
> XP 1800+, with 1.49 GHz, and 512 MB of RAM. Thanks,

Is the motherboard an ECS K7S5A ?

"S.Heenan" <sheenan@wahs.ac> wrote in message
news:Ewh9c.23402$li5.9709@pd7tw3no...
> Charles Shahar wrote:
> > Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets erased, and I
> > have to take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea
> > why this may be happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations
> > coming from my home socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else
> > which might be responsible? I am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD Athlon
> > XP 1800+, with 1.49 GHz, and 512 MB of RAM. Thanks,
>
> Is the motherboard an ECS K7S5A ?
>
> Just trying to be pro active here. I have that motherboard is there a
problem in waiting for me?
Regards JD

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 08:55:58 -0500 Letting slip the dogs of war
"Charles Shahar" <charles19@sympatico.ca> wrote :

>Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets erased, and I have to
>take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea why this may be
>happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations coming from my home
>socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else which might be responsible? I
>am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD Athlon XP 1800+, with 1.49 GHz, and 512 MB
>of RAM. Thanks,
>
>-Charles
>

A rare fault can be the CMOS re-charge circuit on the mother board.I
would also check the CMOS battery clips.The batteries are cheap and
can be got from many sources like,"Staples" for a good Duracell.Stop
paying the Tech as he's,"Taking the P*ss" IMHO.
What motherboard?



--
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On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:49:40 -0000, "r3duf" <r3duf@nospamblueyonder.co.uk>
wrote:


>> Is the motherboard an ECS K7S5A ?
>>
>> Just trying to be pro active here. I have that motherboard is there a
>problem in waiting for me?
>Regards JD
>

Some people, myself included, consider the K7S5A a ticking time bomb. The
"Pro" version is supposedly better, but then again it's not as old yet
either, the bomb might just have a few more ticks still before .........

r3duf wrote:
> "S.Heenan" <sheenan@wahs.ac> wrote in message
> news:Ewh9c.23402$li5.9709@pd7tw3no...
>> Charles Shahar wrote:
>>> Periodically (every 6 wks or so), my CMOS memory gets erased, and I
>>> have to take my computer to a technician to get it fixed. Any idea
>>> why this may be happening? He suggested it may be power fluctuations
>>> coming from my home socket. Is this a possibility? Anything else
>>> which might be responsible? I am running Win XP Pro, on an AMD
>>> Athlon XP 1800+, with 1.49 GHz, and 512 MB of RAM. Thanks,
>>
>> Is the motherboard an ECS K7S5A ?
>>
>> Just trying to be pro active here. I have that motherboard is there a
> problem in waiting for me?

The ECS board was well known to have this fault, although others could
easily exhibit the same symptom. Changing the CMOS battery is the first
corrective step.

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 21:26:27 GMT Letting slip the dogs of war kony
<spam@spam.com> wrote :

>On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:49:40 -0000, "r3duf" <r3duf@nospamblueyonder.co.uk>
>wrote:
>
>
>>> Is the motherboard an ECS K7S5A ?
>>>
>>> Just trying to be pro active here. I have that motherboard is there a
>>problem in waiting for me?
>>Regards JD
>>
>
>Some people, myself included, consider the K7S5A a ticking time bomb. The
>"Pro" version is supposedly better, but then again it's not as old yet
>either, the bomb might just have a few more ticks still before .........

It wasn't a very good board for Q/C but then it was fun as it always
had something interesting to fix<grin> :O)
This Asrock I run now is complete and utterly boring in it's stability
:O



--
Free Windows/PC help,
http://www.geocities.com/sheppola/trouble.html
email shepATpartyheld.de
Free songs to download and,"BURN" :O)
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/nomessiahsmusic.htm