xiaohe@CitIago.BITNET (Xiao-He Zhang) (03/27/90)
Greetings!
I have an AT portable clone, almost two years old (PAT motherboard, made
in Taiwan). Recently, when I boot the machine, I have the following message
on my screen:
CMOS RAM ERROR, CHECK BATTERY/RUN SETUP
PRESS F1 KEY TO CONTINUE OR CTRL-ALT ESC FOR SETUP ...
Of course, if I press F1 or run setup, it works fine (except its clock is reset
to 00:00 if I pressed F1). Another earlier symptom associated with this, and
still exist, is that if I press Alt-Ctrl-Del when it's running, then none of
the directories are removed from the RAMdisk though all files in them are gone.
My concern is whether this is simplly the problem with the battery or some
virus attack (Scan 2.7V57 did not find any), or even some more serious problem.
Since my user manual for the motherboard does not show me where the battery is,
and I cannot find anything looks obviously like a battary, I've not attempted
to check the battary yet.
Could someone give me some advice on this? And if it is the probelm of
battary, where would you suggest me to look for it in the box and where I can
find replacement for it?
Thank you very much in advance for your kind help!
Xiao-He Zhangdlow@hpspcoi.HP.COM (Danny Low) (03/28/90)
> I have an AT portable clone, almost two years old (PAT motherboard, made >in Taiwan). Recently, when I boot the machine, I have the following message >on my screen: > CMOS RAM ERROR, CHECK BATTERY/RUN SETUP > PRESS F1 KEY TO CONTINUE OR CTRL-ALT ESC FOR SETUP ... Your CMOS configuration table is corrupted. This will happen if your battery is worn out. It can also happen if a program runs amuck. It can also be caused by hardware failure. Run SETUP to rebuild the table. If that does not fix the problem, replace the battery and run SETUP to rebuild the table. If that does not work you have serious hardware problems and it's time to visit your local repair shop. The location of the battery inside your system will vary depending on whose system you have but it should be a 6V lithium battery. I have seen systems where the battery was stuck to a convenient flat surface with velcro and systems where it was hidden in a container that had to be pried loose. Take off the cover and follow the wires until you find something that looks like a bttery or might contain a battery. Electronics parts stores should have replacement batteries. Danny Low "Question Authority and the Authorities will question You" Valley of Hearts Delight, Silicon Valley HP SPCD dlow%hpspcoi@hplabs.hp.com ...!hplabs!hpspcoi!dlow
bbesler@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Brent Besler) (03/29/90)
I just thought I would mention Jameco carries a rechargeable Ni-cad battery that hooks into one of the power connectors off the PC power supply. The battery replaces the standard AT type lithium batteries. It rehcarges off of the PC power supply when it is on. It will essentialy last forever.