booting up ??

Wifes computer is about 4 yrs old, custom built. When booting up will get to
screen that says use F1- setup F2- load defaults.. Usually go with the
F2, boots to desktop. Clock, time & date are always screwed up. Today was
like August 14, 2066. I installed a new cmos battery couple weeks ago, but
apparently hasn't helped. What is causing this and what else can I check.
Any setting in bios, or need to upgrade bios. Computer only used for
searches and email, not many programs on it. Don't have specifics of
motherboard at this time, but running win xp home, 80gb WD, 512 mb ram, amd
processor. Is there more than 1 battery on motherboard. Thanks for any help

"DaddyJim" <jj2145@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:47d8df4b$0$17364$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
> Wifes computer is about 4 yrs old, custom built. When booting up will get
> to screen that says use F1- setup F2- load defaults.. Usually go with
> the F2, boots to desktop. Clock, time & date are always screwed up. Today
> was like August 14, 2066. I installed a new cmos battery couple weeks ago,
> but apparently hasn't helped. What is causing this and what else can I
> check. Any setting in bios, or need to upgrade bios. Computer only used
> for searches and email, not many programs on it. Don't have specifics of
> motherboard at this time, but running win xp home, 80gb WD, 512 mb ram,
> amd processor. Is there more than 1 battery on motherboard. Thanks for any
> help

Perhaps the contacts around the battery are furry - give it a clean and
replace the new battery. Look in the manual or on the motherboard for a BIOS
reset jumper - it will be one of the following 2 configurations:
1. It will have 3 pins and a jumper connecting 2 of the pins and writing in
white on the board saying BIOS reset
2. It will have 2 pins and no jumber, but still have the same writing

You need to power off the PC, short (connect) the 2 pins, usually with a
jumper, but careful use of a small screwdriver will do the job. Power on the
PC for a few seconds - nothing will happen with these pins shorted. Then
power off the PC, put everything back as it was and power on as normal. If
you then choose F2 and the machine continues to ask the same question every
time, then go into the BIOS using F1 and check for any messages - there
might be hardware message waiting for you in there, which you can just
delete or acknowledge, then it might all go away.

Incidentally, when you get into windows, you have been setting the clock to
the right time? It won't do that itself!

DaddyJim wrote:
> Wifes computer is about 4 yrs old, custom built. When booting up will get to
> screen that says use F1- setup F2- load defaults.. Usually go with the
> F2, boots to desktop. Clock, time & date are always screwed up. Today was
> like August 14, 2066. I installed a new cmos battery couple weeks ago, but
> apparently hasn't helped. What is causing this and what else can I check.
> Any setting in bios, or need to upgrade bios. Computer only used for
> searches and email, not many programs on it. Don't have specifics of
> motherboard at this time, but running win xp home, 80gb WD, 512 mb ram, amd
> processor. Is there more than 1 battery on motherboard. Thanks for any help

In addition to what GT has said:

Make sure you go into BIOS, set your clock and save your changes. Some
BIOSes will continue to offer that Load Defaults option until you have
explicitly entered BIOS setup. (You've probably already done this, but
it's not specifically stated in your narrative.)