How Do You Tell If A CMOS Battery Is Bad?
In computer parlance, CMOS stands for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor. It is a type of memory commonly used to save the settings of the BIOS (that is, the basic input-output system) in your computer. This type of memory requires a constant source of power, the CMOS battery, in order to retain information stored in it. CMOS batteries usually last at least five years, but it is not uncommon to replace the CMOS battery in a computer’s usable lifetime. Recognizing a bad CMOS battery can save you from the headaches associated with CMOS memory loss. Step 1 Look for symptoms of a bad CMOS battery. Common symptoms include the system clock no longer keeping correct time, a CMOS checksum error, a CMOS read error, the loss of BIOS settings, and a CMOS battery failure error. If you are not experiencing any of these problems, then you probably do not have a bad CMOS battery. Otherwise, move on to Step 2. Step 2 Leave your computer plugged in for 24 hours and then reboot it. Sometimes, parti
