Windows Clock and Date

[Paul]

My computer's clock seems to be losing time. Whenever I
"wake up" my computer, the clock is set to 12:00 and the
date is set to January 1, 2002. What causes this problem,
and how can I fix it?

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Scott M.]

There is a small battery on the motherboard. If you computer is
particularly old, the battery could be dead.

 

[Guest]

It could be your motherboard bios problem
update the motherboard bios

 

[Mortimer Schnerd, RN]

There is a small battery on the motherboard. If you computer is
particularly old, the battery could be dead.

There is also a utility that I've used for several years now called SocketWatch.
It will reset your clock periodically to atomic clock time. My computer has
been the most accurate timepiece in my house ever since.

 

[Scott M.]

Windows XP has a time updating feature already included with it.

 

[NobodyMan]

There is a small battery on the motherboard. If you computer is
particularly old, the battery could be dead.

If the battery was dead it would cause more problems than Windows
showing the wrong time. I doubt it's the battery.

 

[Scott M.]

Would it? What other problems would it cause?

If the battery was dead it would cause more problems than Windows
showing the wrong time. I doubt it's the battery.

 

[NobodyMan]

Would it? What other problems would it cause?

If the CMOS is not getting any current from either the PS or the
battery, it forgets the computer defaults, including HD specs,
date/time, amount of memory installed, etc, and any customizing you
do, every single restart.

This will cause your computer to want to go into BIOS setup every time
your power up.

 

[Scott M.]

But if the battery hasn't "died" completely yet, then wouldn't the clock
losing time be a symptom of that?

 

[NobodyMan]

But if the battery hasn't "died" completely yet, then wouldn't the clock
losing time be a symptom of that?

No. Either the battery will suplly current or it won't. There's no
middle ground here.

On a side note, if you have a computer produced within the last few
years, if you turn of your computer with it's power switch, or use
Start/Shutdown, you are NOT interrupting power to the MB. The PS
still trickle power to the system. This lengthens battery life,
since no load is being placed on it.

The only way you'll ever use your CMOS battery is to interrupt power
to the computer by pulling the cord from the case, hitting the PS
on/off switch (in the back of the machine), or switching off the power
supplier the computer is plugged into - something like a power strip.

 

[Gary Tait]

No. Either the battery will suplly current or it won't. There's no
middle ground here.

There may be a point where there is enough current (or voltage) to
hold the CMOS data, but not accurately run the RTC. It was that way on
old AT systems.

 

[Mortimer Schnurd]

My computer's clock seems to be losing time. Whenever I
"wake up" my computer, the clock is set to 12:00 and the
date is set to January 1, 2002. What causes this problem,
and how can I fix it?

Thanks,
Paul

Paul,
This really sounds like a hardware issue that may be better addressed
in one of the motherboard NG's. Although there are some very
knowledgable folks here, you just might find someone else with the
same experience for your type of hardware.

I would suggest doing a Google NG search with your MOBO as one of the
key words. Let us know how if you actually solve the problem.

 

[-xiray-]

Paul,
This really sounds like a hardware issue

Yup, probably hardware. First thing I'd do is replace the battery on
the mother board. The coin-cell battery will probably cost you in the
range of $10 to $20 dollars.