Hi Don,

Basic dos and don'ts:
1.Make sure the power is OFF. You can either switch OFF the power supply at 
the back of the computer
or switch OFF the power bar that the computer is plugged into (or both)
Don't pull the plug.The 3-prong plug has the ground pin which you want to 
leave connected,
so using the switches as mentioned above will achieve this.
In most cases only a single pole switch is used, so the neutral and the 
ground wire remain connected.

As an aside , in very rare instances there is the possibility that there is 
a "mis-wire" in either the power supply,
the power bar or the house wiring, but I would contend this condition would 
have manifested itself well before this.
You would have appliances that give you a shock or repeatedly blown fuses or 
popped breakers.
If you want to be absolutely sure ,use a multi meter to check for a "hot" 
neutral or ground fault or
use an AC "polarity" plug. That will show you in a glance if your outlet is 
wired correctly.

2.Avoid static transfer to components on the motherboard or anywhere else 
inside the computer.
  You can use a ground strap or ground yourself first by touching the case.
  My preferred method is to use gloves ,either surgical - or nitrile work 
gloves.They are very thin and avoid
  static transfer as well as finger prints on contacts or printed circuits.

3.You'll find the battery somewhere on the motherboard. It's a large 
"button" cell ,about the size of a quarter.
   Most boards use the CR 2032  3Volts Lithium cell. Observe the polarity of 
the battery on the board.
   Use a small flat bladed screw driver to carefully pry out the battery.

4. Yes ,you will lose any custom BIOS settings ,so after replacement you'll 
need to enter the BIOS to set the time
    and boot preference and other settings. Consult your Dell manual for 
exact procedures.

You can avoid losing the settings if you were to connect a separate battery 
in parallel with the one on the board.
Pry out the "old' one and insert the new one, then disconnect the "helper".
Useful only if doing a lot of them to avoid multiple BIOS setups.

PS. If there is a BIOS settings backup available in the Dell utilities , use 
that to save your present settings
and to restore them after the battery change.

HTH,
Peter E.

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Donald DeWitt"
Sent: Sunday, 15 May, 2011 4:37 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [PCBUILD] Battery Warning

I’m running a Dell Dimension 8400 sp2



During boot-up there is a system battery low voltage warning. I assume that
means the battery is ready to be replaced. What are the basic dos and don’ts
on replacing it? Where is it located and where do you buy one? Do I lose any
settings when replacing it? This is the first time I have run into this.
There are no other problems with the computer; it is in good running
condition.



Thank you,



Don DeWitt

 

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