Re: Clock Resetting on Power Up by Ken
Ken
Sun Mar 23 08:35:15 PDT 2008
On Sun, 23 Mar 2008 05:37:01 -0700, Charly
<Charly@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> I have a problem with my clock losing time.
How much time does it lose over what period?
> I have been told that it may be
> neccessary to change the motherboard battery.
Maybe, maybe not. Before anyone whose clock is running slow rushes out
to buy a new battery, he should first take note of whether he is
losing time while the computer is running or while it's powered off.
If it's while powered off, the problem *is* very likely the battery.
But if it's while running, it can *not* be the battery, because the
battery isn't used while the computer is running.
If the clock loses time while running, try this:
Open a command prompt window (Start | Run | cmd) and enter the
following commands:
net stop w32time
w32tm /unregister
w32tm /register
net start w32time
Also note that losing small amounts of time is normal. The clock is
not perfectly accurate. Look for a solution only if the clock loses
large amounts of time.
> This would be a problem because I am not skilled enough to mess about inside
> the base unit.
>
> I am wondering if there is any other solution to this problem.
If the battery is failing, it needs to be replaced. There is no other
solution.
Replacing the battery is easy and doesn't require great skill. The
battery is a small flat disk, around the size and shape of a US
quarter, held in place by a clip. A new one costs 2-3 dollars. Take
note of its model number, buy a new one, remove the old, and insert
the new.
If you're really uncomfortable doing it yourself, you can of course
take the computer to a service facility and pay someone else to do it,
but it's likely to cost you $50-75. Do you have a more knowledgeable
friend who can help?
> By the way the computer is not connected to the internet so I can't set the
> time from the net.
You can also set it manually yourself. Right-click on the time in the
system tray, and choose "Adjust date/time." But that's a stopgap
measure. The battery is used for more than keeping the clock running
while the computer is powered off. If it's failing, you *need* to
replace it. If you don't, you will soon find that the clock being
wrong is the least of your problems.
--
Ken Blake, Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience
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