You can put another battery in parallel with the existing one and this works fine until myour computer is obsolete. Don Benoit ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Closure" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2001 1:30 PM Subject: [PCBUILD] replacing motherboard battery > In a message dated 12/17/01 11:31:07 PM Central Standard Time, > > > > > > The battery on the motherboard provides power for two basic > > functions: > > > > 1. Configuration data is stored in RAM (generally CMOS) that *does* > > require a small amount of current to keep its contents. (This is > > "static" RAM, so all it needs is a trickle of power to the memory > > circuitry. "Dynamic" RAM needs somebody to rewrite each and every > > memory location every so often, which makes it cheaper but more power- > > needy.) > > > > 2. There is an electronic clock, similar to the innards of an > > electronic watch (sans display) that keeps track of the time and > > date; as part of the boot sequence, the operating system obtains the > > current time from this circuit and keeps track of time itself while > > up and running. One of the early signs of imminent battery failure > > is that the machine, each time booted, doesn't know what day/time it > > is. > > > > Which brings up the question . . . > > How does one go about replacing the motherboard battery? I have a Magitronic > Pentium, 32 Mg Ram, running Windows 98 of unknown age. The clock has lost 20 > minutes in the last week or so. Should replacement battery be done with > computer running? Plugged in? How do I locate it? How do I know what kind > of battery to use? What do I have to do BEFORE I start messing with this, so > I don't lose up my computer. (I already have one down.) I have memories of > reading about computers blowing up (well, not literally) if batteries were > allowed to die. > > I checked the archive, but couldn't find anything that addresses these > questions at this simplistic level. Any web sites that can educate me? > > William Closure > > PCBUILD's List Owners: > Bob Wright<[log in to unmask]> > Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]> Visit our website regularly for FAQs, articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more http://freepctech.com