Error on PC start up - using Win XP

[Gizmonster]

My PC's been off for a couple of weeks 'cos I've been away (dunno if this has anything to do with it) .....

.... when I switch my PC on, I get the following errors:

"CMOS checksum error - defauls loaded.
If your operation system has install on SATA HDD already.
Please check SATA access mode and hard disk boot priority."

F1: to continue
DEL: BIOS set up

Well, I press F1 to continue and it finds new hardware that it tries to install:

"Found new hardware - RAID controller"

It fails to install it, as it cannot find where to install it from.


The clock keeps resetting itself everytime I power down and re-boot (if left for a while in between reboots - so I'm assuming there's an internal battery that needs replacing ??), so I need to reset it everytime I power up.


Is this something I can fix myself (I'm not a PC expert), or am I gonna have to ring my bro-in-law and get him to come and sort it out ???

Thanks in advance :)

[MarkRae]

Your motherboard battery needs replacing. For most motherboards, this is a trivial exercise, but will require you to open up the machine.

[Gizmonster]

Cheers pal - just been on the phone to my bro-in-law and he told me that I need a new BIOS battery ..... he then went on to explain why this was causing the other problems ....... *whoosh, straight over my head*.

He said it's fairly accesible so (touch wood), I'll replace it myself :)

[Gizmonster]

Sorted - if I can do it, anyone can :P

Just for the record, don't go to your nearest PC shop and ask for a BIOS/motherboard battery, or you'll get charged 3 quid for 1 (well that's what they TRIED to charge me). All the batteries are the same (I think) and are "CR 2032" - available on places like Ebay, etc, in packs of 10 for about 2 quid :)

[ChuckFickens]

I've found there is a huge difference between the lifespan of decent batteries and the really cheapo ones, they are almost all CR2032s though (occasionally in a little plastic wrap with a couple of wires attached.... then they charge about £15 for them!