cmos battery

[Tim Sutor]

I have a 3-4 year old generic computer with a Elitegroup (ECS) motherboard
model number P4S5MG/GL and running Windows XP. Just recently the Date/Time
has been behaving erratically and yesterday when booting up, a dialogue box
advised that the cmos battery (Set up RAM) was failing. Thus far I have
still been able to continue booting up and using the computer but before it
fails completely I clearly must replace the battery. My problem is that the
book that I am referring to may be too old to be relied upon and, as an
example, I am unable to locate the cmos details relevant to my machine by
using the methods described in the book.

Can anyone please help with instructions, as straightforward as possible for
a new user, for installing a new battery.

 

[Wesley Vogel]

How To Replace The CMOS Battery In Your PC
http://www.liverepair.com/encyclopedia/articles/cmosreplace.asp

How to replace the CMOS battery
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000239.htm

When was the last time you thought about the battery in your PC?
http://home.i-plus.net/jtmurphy/cmos.htm

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Tim Sutor]

Hi Wes,

Thanks for your suggestions but whatever keys or key combinations that I
press during boot up I am completely unable to get into the bios in order to
record the details. It is quite infuriating.

Tim

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Thanks for your suggestions but whatever keys or key combinations
that I press during boot up I am completely unable to get into the
bios in order to record the details. It is quite infuriating.

How to get into your BIOS depends, not on Windows, but on what
motherboard/BIOS you have. As a matter of fact, you have to access the BIOS
before Windows even starts to boot. One common way is to press the Del key
when you first power on, but that's not necessarily right for your computer.
Watch the screen carefully when you first boot; there's often a message
there telling you what to do. If not, check your system documentation or
check with your vendor.

Also look here: http://michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm Or just
try the Del key. There's a good chance that's correct for you.

 

[Rick]

I have a 3-4 year old generic computer with a Elitegroup (ECS) motherboard
model number P4S5MG/GL and running Windows XP. Just recently the Date/Time
has been behaving erratically and yesterday when booting up, a dialogue box
advised that the cmos battery (Set up RAM) was failing. Thus far I have
still been able to continue booting up and using the computer but before it
fails completely I clearly must replace the battery. My problem is that the
book that I am referring to may be too old to be relied upon and, as an
example, I am unable to locate the cmos details relevant to my machine by
using the methods described in the book.

Can anyone please help with instructions, as straightforward as possible for
a new user, for installing a new battery.

you should be able to see it on the MOBO if you open up the case. You
can probably get a pdf copy of the MOBO manual from the manufacturer's
web site.
Rick

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Tim,

See this for accessing your BIOS. If nothing else it has about all the
possible keys to try, without trying every key on the keyboard. ;-)

Accessing Motherboard BIOS
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

Apparently when your machine boots it doesn't show a screen with press X key
to access Setup. Where X is whatever the key is.

Try this.

Open the Registry Editor...
Start | Run | Type: regedit | Click OK |

Navigate to...
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System

Look for SystemBiosVersion in the right hand pane.

The entry under the Data column should show the BIOS version.

For example, mine is: PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0

Don't worry about VideoBiosVersion.

That might help at Michael Stevens' site.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[BILL]

According to the manual for this motherboard you should be getting a
standard "Press DEL for setup" message on booting
Try pressing DEL over and over real fast as soon as you see anything on the
screen when cold starting.

If this does not work you bios may need to be reflashed.
Go to www.ecs.com.tw and then choose download.
You will need to pick 478 as socket type and then select the P4S5MG/GL
This will give you drivers with options at the right for manuals and bios

Good Luck

Bill Wilkie

Remove the numbers to reply directly.

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Tim Sutor]

Thanks Bill, that fixed it.
Tim

According to the manual for this motherboard you should be getting a
standard "Press DEL for setup" message on booting
Try pressing DEL over and over real fast as soon as you see anything on
the screen when cold starting.

If this does not work you bios may need to be reflashed.
Go to www.ecs.com.tw and then choose download.
You will need to pick 478 as socket type and then select the P4S5MG/GL
This will give you drivers with options at the right for manuals and bios

Good Luck

Bill Wilkie

Remove the numbers to reply directly.

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Tim Sutor]

Thanks Rick, I was being lazy and trying to establish what battery I needed
before opening the computer case so that I could leave the machine booted up
while I visited the computer shop some distance away.
Elitegroup were not able to help with a motherboard manual but I eventually
discovered what battery and installed without problems.

Tim

 

[Tim Sutor]

Hi again Wes,
Okay I got it thanks. Think I'll take up knitting instead!!

Tim

 

[Stan Brown]

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 12:37:55 +1100 from Tim Sutor

Thanks for your suggestions but whatever keys or key combinations that I
press during boot up I am completely unable to get into the bios in order to
record the details. It is quite infuriating.

A free utility is Aida Enterprise, which tells all sorts of details
of your computer's hardware. I don't have a desktop, so I can't test
whether it tells about the CMOS battery, but I'd be surprised if it
doesn't.

http://forum.aumha.org/overflow/aida32.zip

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Tim,

Did you find out what BIOS you had from this registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\HARDWARE\DESCRIPTION\System ??

Knitting may be tougher. Knit one, pearl two...

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In