What Are CMOS Battery Failure Symptoms? How to Replace It?

What Is CMOS Battery

Before introducing CMOS battery failure, let’s have a simple overview of the CMOS battery. 

It is a special battery to provide a continuous power supply to the CMOS chip on the computer motherboard. CMOS is used to store many crucial system configurations and settings, for example, system time and date, hardware settings, some primary parameters required for the startup, etc. After shutting down the PC, these settings are still kept on the CMOS battery. On laptops and desktops from Dell, HP, Lenovo,etc., a CMOS battery exists.

However, sometimes the CMOS battery goes wrong or dies, leading to some errors & issues. Next, let’s talk about some bad CMOS battery symptoms.

Related post: How Long Does a CMOS Battery Last and How to Prolong Lifespan

CMOS Battery Failure Symptoms

#1. Your PC May Not Start

BIOS needs a continuous power supply to boot up the PC properly. When the CMOS battery dies, it cannot provide the power. As a result, boot issues happen. But in terms of this sign, some users have a different idea and you can find it from our previous post – What Is CMOS Battery? Can a PC Run Without It.

#2. Checksum Errors

Checksum errors are the most common signs of a CMOS battery failure. Usually, the errors appear when a conflict between the BIOS and the CMOS occurs. In this case, your PC fails to read startup information or the information doesn’t match BIOS.

#3. Date and Time Will Reset Automatically

A constant resetting of the date and the time is another typical symptom of a CMOS battery failure. No matter how many times you set the correct date and time, you always see the default values. If you notice this situation, your CMOS battery could die.

#4. Drivers Not Responding and Various Hardware Failures

Drivers are responsible for running hardware devices properly. If the CMOS battery that keeps track of device drivers malfunctions, drivers may stop responding or disappear from the PC. Then, the machine cannot recognize the hardware, leading to various issues & failures.

#5. Constant Beeping Noise

Your motherboard may make a constant beeping sound. If you hear 10 short beeps, this means your CMOS battery goes wrong. 

Other CMOS Battery Dead Signs

1. You can’t connect to the internet
2. PC keeps shutting down without any user input
3. Printers don’t work, showing “can’t find printer”
4. Peripherals aren’t responsive

Now you learn how to tell if the CMOS battery is dead via these symptoms. Your CMOS battery may be at its last stage and you should fix it as soon as possible.

How to Fix CMOS Battery Failure in PC

The only way to solve the CMOS battery malfunction is to replace this battery. The malfunction won’t cause any data loss and files saved in it won’t be impacted. After replacing the CMOS battery, you can still store pictures, videos, documents, and more.

Now, let’s see how to replace the dead CMOS battery:

Step 1: Shut down your computer and remove the power source & external devices.

Step 2: Open the CPU cover.

Step 3: Find your CMOS battery, remove it, and install the new one.

Step 4: Cover the PC, boot the machine, and see if your PC can run properly.

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Final Words

CMOS battery failure signs are various and you can find some from this post. If you suffer from one typical symptom, try to replace this battery. Hope this post can help you a lot.