# Why does my computer keep resetting its time?



## arnisador

My computer keeps resetting its clock backwards--sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few days, sometimes as much as two months. It's only started in the past week or two. I'm not hooking another device up to it, and trying to get it to synch with Micro$oft or NIST fails. It even happens while it's continuously powered up.

What does it think it's doing?


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## exile

arnisador said:


> My computer keeps resetting its clock backwards--sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few days, sometimes as much as two months. It's only started in the past week or two. I'm not hooking another device up to it, and trying to get it to synch with Micro$oft or NIST fails. It even happens while it's continuously powered up.
> 
> What does it think it's doing?



In a lot of computers, there's a separate calendar battery, and sometimes this can be drained or damaged, in which case you'll get that reset effect.

Another, bleaker possibility is that there's something wrong with your logic board. Both of these scenarios have happened to me in the past, associated with that calendar reset symptom...


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## Bob Hubbard

How old's the system?
internal battery might be shot.


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## arnisador

We've always replaced things piecemeal, so while much of it is new, parts of it are pretty old. I wonder if that's it--a separate clock battery. 

It's annoying as hell, and the clock is now always off when I turn the machine on. Can I replace this myself or does it require an expert? We're pretty handy with hardware and can switch out hard drives and such.

Let's hope it's not the ALU. Thanks, guys!


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## Bob Hubbard

Lets see..you're a highly educated person with a PHD.....
You'll need an expert.

See, it's really really complex.

Step 0 - turn off the PC and unplug the PC. Yes, unplug it.

Step 1 - open the case. This will usually involve removing 2-5 screws of some kind. Under no circumstances should you call an engineer. They will be there all week.

Step 2 - locate the battery.  This will usually be a small round and flat disc somewhere on the mother board.

step 3 - GROUND YOURSELF!  touch part of the mtal case -before- touching the pc guts.

Step 4 - Carefully remove the old battery by prying it up with a small screw driver.  You shouldn't have to force it.

Step 5 - Drive down to the local battery store or Radio Shack and ask the pimple faced person behind the counterfor a replacement.  Do not mix them up!

Step 6 - Ground yourself again before attempting insertion.  If you can feel the zap, it's enough to fry your system.

Step 7 - insert new battery, close up the patient and power it on.  Set your clock.  It shoud now stay setted.



If that's too hard, find a local pc shop, call themand ask how much to swap in a new battery.  It's a 10 minute job for most desktops.


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## arnisador

Thanks, dude! I'm married to an engineer--this should be doable!


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## Bob Hubbard

Ok, in the case of a PHD and an engineer....I recommend contacting eighbors who may have small children. 


Seriously, if you've swapped drives and installed addin cards, the battery shoudln't b a problem.

Unless it's soddered in place (rare in my experience), or non-standard.
In which case, refer to the motherboard manual schematic to locate it.


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## Rich Parsons

Bob Hubbard said:


> Lets see..you're a highly educated person with a PHD.....
> You'll need an expert.
> 
> See, it's really really complex.
> 
> Step 0 - turn off the PC and unplug the PC. Yes, unplug it.
> 
> Step 1 - open the case. This will usually involve removing 2-5 screws of some kind. Under no circumstances should you call an engineer. They will be there all week.
> 
> Step 2 - locate the battery.  This will usually be a small round and flat disc somewhere on the mother board.
> 
> step 3 - GROUND YOURSELF!  touch part of the mtal case -before- touching the pc guts.
> 
> Step 4 - Carefully remove the old battery by prying it up with a small screw driver.  You shouldn't have to force it.
> 
> Step 5 - Drive down to the local battery store or Radio Shack and ask the pimple faced person behind the counterfor a replacement. Do not mix them up!
> 
> Step 6 - Ground yourself again before attempting insertion.  If you can feel the zap, it's enough to fry your system.
> 
> Step 7 - insert new battery, close up the patient and power it on.  Set your clock.  It shoud now stay setted.
> 
> 
> 
> If that's too hard, find a local pc shop, call themand ask how much to swap in a new battery. It's a 10 minute job for most desktops.




Bob, being an engineer I relate to your comments.  

Step 1 - verify the issue with friends. Step 0 was recognizing there was ana issue.  

Step 2 - decide upon either the coolest approach or the most expensive depending upon what your ultimate goal is. I like cool over cost. 

Step 3 - Gather the tools. One has to have the best tools to do the job. 

Step 3A - Price shop on the internet for an antistatic matt and wrist grounding attachement. As well as canned air and other unique tools required for such a job.  (* this could take upwards of 6 months, as one has to talk to friends and post about it and compare prices and possible buy multiple tool sets and try them out first. *) 

Step 3B - Do not forget to buy the spare part or one will look really bad at step 8.  

Step 4 - clean house or room or table for using all the special tools. Of course this is easier if single, but for some reason engineers do get married, and they have to worry about the spouse and their stuff as well. 

Step 5 - gather all the instructions people have given to you and make sure all the tools are in place.

Step 6 - gather the computer. It would be too easy to just do it where it is  - see step 4 - move it to location with all the cool tools and instructions. 

Step 7 - begin to take apart the computer.

Step 8 - Spouse asks why you are doing this? 

Step 9 - You spend 2 hours explaining the process you went through to get all the tools and instructions and best ideas and back up ideas and now you are going to fix it. 

Step 10 - Spouse hangs head while shaking it and tries not to cry. 

Step 11 - Engineer looks at spouse and wonders what is wrong. 

Step 12 - Spouse states they fixed the problem already 6 or 7 months ago. 

Step 12 A - Either themselves through frustration
Step 12 B - or via a neighborhood kid as recommended above  

Step 13 - put computer back together and pout that you never get to hafve any fun. 

Step 14 - take spouse out to eat to apologize for not listening to them months ago. 


Note: An applied Engineer might just do it and use their belt knife to remove the screws and it might take 10 to fifteen minutes. 



arnisador said:


> Thanks, dude! I'm married to an engineer--this should be doable!



Only if she is an applied engineer or a Mom or both.  :lol: 



Bob Hubbard said:


> Ok, in the case of a PHD and an engineer....I recommend contacting eighbors who may have small children.



About the age of 10 to 12 will have just enough knowledge and still be willing to help you make the change.  





Good Luck


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## newGuy12

Bob Hubbard said:


> step 3 - GROUND YOURSELF!  touch part of the mtal case -before- touching the pc guts.



Hehe, this is the ONLY step that absolutely, positively MUST be done right.  Everything else can be done wrong and you will still be okay, LOL!  A shock of static electricity that us human beings cannot even feel can be like a LIGHTENING BOLT to those little circuits, so take care to not discharge any electrical energy into the circuit boards.


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## jks9199

arnisador said:


> Thanks, dude! I'm married to an engineer--this should be doable!


 


Bob Hubbard said:


> Ok, in the case of a PHD and an engineer....I recommend contacting eighbors who may have small children.


 
A PhD and an engineer...  There's no hope. 

But we'll know exactly why the battery was undersized, and the theory behind using a battery to power a clock!


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## Bigshadow

Bob Hubbard said:


> Unless it's soddered in place (rare in my experience), or non-standard.
> In which case, refer to the motherboard manual schematic to locate it.




I have seen many of these.  If I remember correctly there is often a shunt that has to be moved a pair of jumpers to disable the on-board battery and allow an external battery to be plugged onto a pair of jumpers.   However, you have to know what pair of jumpers do what and that calls for the motherboard manual.  If you do not have that, then you will probably need to take it to a computer shop as they may have the manual or some other documentation.


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## Shicomm

Bigshadow said:


> I have seen many of these.  If I remember correctly there is often a shunt that has to be moved a pair of jumpers to disable the on-board battery and allow an external battery to be plugged onto a pair of jumpers.   However, you have to know what pair of jumpers do what and that calls for the motherboard manual.  If you do not have that, then you will probably need to take it to a computer shop as they may have the manual or some other documentation.



and even then it sometimes can't be fixed  
If the battery is "locked" in then it's a tricky one , getting the old one out is doable but fitting the new... 

Anyhow ; sometimes the battery keeps on draining.
Then another sollution is needed ; one is to replace the motherboard ( can be a costly one... ) and the other is do fit a bigger battery to the board. ( seems stupid but if it needs 1,5 volts you actually can mount a regular AA battery on it!  )


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## Cruentus

arnisador said:


> My computer keeps resetting its clock backwards--sometimes a few hours, sometimes a few days, sometimes as much as two months. It's only started in the past week or two. I'm not hooking another device up to it, and trying to get it to synch with Micro$oft or NIST fails. It even happens while it's continuously powered up.
> 
> What does it think it's doing?



It could be the battery... or you computer allows for time travel! You know, we just never want to consider ALL the possibilities.

That said... I can't wait for Christmas tomorrow!


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## arnisador

I'll try the battery. No computer shop will be open in my little town this week though, so I'll just keep resetting the clock every time I log on. Grrrr...


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## Softix

There's a dead battery on the motherboard. It needs to be replaced. When that battery dies, the computer will lose its date settings when unplugged, and may start to lose other settings in the future.


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## Carol

Hate to say it but I think its a bad logic board.  Your computer's clock shouldn't be drifting like that when it is powered up and even a dead battery has the ability to sync up to NIST when the computer is on.

You can try replacing the battery and believe me, I'd love to be proven wrong in this case.....but I don't think the battery alone will fix the issue.


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## kaizasosei

one thing i heard, is it is not good to keep unpluging the computer or cutting its power source-even if the computer is turned off!

otherwise im guessing it must have something to do with the internal battery.
?


j


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## arnisador

It took me until this week to get it (from Indianapolis), but I finally replaced the battery! Thanks, I'd have never thought of that.


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