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PC clock problems - time keeps stopping

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by racybabeuk

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I recently upgraded to Windows 2000 from Win98SE and my bios has reset its speed on one or two occasions since. I now seem to have a problem with the date and time which stops or loses time even after resetting it.

I have only had the pc for a year so not sure if i need a new CMOS battery or a BIOS update?

I did read somewhere that windows 2000 does strange things to the date and time.

12 replies

by cg it

usually if the CMOS battery is low [or there is a loose connection] the BIOS will reset its self to default settings [including date and time]. If this is happening good bet is it's the CMOS battery. replacing it is a good first step to trouble shoot the problem.

by donmars

More information is needed. What CPU (and speed) are you using? How much memory do you have? Is this a new Win 2K or from someone else, and he had it for awhile? You should get the latest service pack and install it, I think it is up to service pack 4. This machine is a year old? The battery should not be bad so soon, but it is another possibility but not a probability. Check that it is not loose in it's socket, unless it is the soldered in type. A bios update is another possibility and a probability. What do you mean the BIOS has reset it's speed? Try and do a clean install as opposed to an upgrade install.

by jschein

Ok... If your bios time is being reset, it is 2 things:

1. Battery is bad: Replace battery ($5)

or

2. Motherboard / Bios is bad: Update Bios, If that fails, replace mobo.

Good luck.

by racybabeuk

I installed from an old copy of 2000 with sp 4 upgrade. I have reset the clock in the bios , done a bios update and it seems to be ok now. While checking the memory etc i found that i only have 523,760 kb RAM!!! I should have tonnes more than that - i think i had 512mb RAM so what has happened there????

I have an Amd athlon processor xp 2000 also.

I haven't changed the CMOS battery yet as i think this problem with the memory is more pressing!!

by thechas

The CMOS battery should not have run down after only 1 year.

As to the RAM issue, does the full amount of RAM show up when the BIOS tests the RAM at POST?

If not, you have a BIOS issue.

Start by clearing / resetting the CMOS.
Next, boot up and enter BIOS setup.
Verify that the CPU speed and all settings are as desired.

On an ATX system, the CMOS battery is only used when power is disconnected or shut off to the power supply. Otherwise, the CMOS and real time clock are operated by the 5 volt standby power.

My best guess, is that your motherboard is beginning to fail.

Chas

by csmith

You have 512 Meg installed.
512Meg is 524,288K
There is a small amount "missing" because of the way upper memory is "counted".
Upper memory is addresses, A0000-FFFFF.
The most common cause of time loss is a bad CMOS battery.
Usualy if the battery is bad, the hard drive settings in the BIOS will also be lost.
This may not be detectable, because most BIOSs default to Auto on the Hard Drive settings.
Changing the battery is cheap and fast.
Only later, start down the Win2K road.
That is where the fiddle factor is.
(The fiddle factor is one of the trolls of PC usage.)

Regards, Chris

by racybabeuk

Thank you for everyones help - i have solved the issue of the clock resetting now with resetting the bios although the processor speed has dropped from xp 2000 to 1250 so i need to go back into the bios and change this to 133/133 i think. My clock is now keeping time so that is a relief! I think i had a very blonde moment about the RAM question - i am still blushing now :-) Thank you for passing on your knowledge.

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