Why does the time go wrong on Windows XP? Why does the time on my computer keep getting lost?
A computer is a complex mechanism, and, unfortunately, problems with its operation cannot be avoided. Even the most seemingly insignificant malfunctions are unpleasant, but the main thing is what to do in such a case and who to ask for help. Normally, the time and date on the computer should not be confused or disappear when the PC is turned off.
This is because the computer continues to work after the power is removed. But sometimes you may notice that when you turn off your computer, the time gets lost.
Why does the time on the computer get lost?
As you know, the system unit has a motherboard on which there is a small battery. Thanks to this seemingly insignificant computer detail, dynamic memory (CMOS) settings are saved. They must always be saved, even when the device is disconnected from power. This special chip (CMOS) stores BIOS settings and computer boot data. When you turn off your computer, the time is lost because the battery is running low. If the battery runs out, neither the clock on the computer, nor the date, nor the BIOS settings will be saved.
To check this, look in the BIOS to see what time is set. If it is incorrect, then the battery is dead. This is the main reason for this problem, but there are also hidden factors that contribute to the fact that the time on the computer is lost.
- It may not display correctly on your device. Timezone. After time synchronization, the server returns incorrect data, which results in this problem.
- When switching between winter and summer to different times the user does not update the OS, and the date does not get lost.
- You can use paid programs As you know, test time for such programs is free. If you have a program installed on your computer that resets this test time, prolonging the operation of the utility, then the time on your computer will also be lost.
- Malware in system folders - a rare reason for the time to go wrong when you turn off the computer.
What to do when the time goes wrong when you turn on your computer?
First of all, this replacing the battery on the motherboard. How to change the battery on the motherboard?
Disconnect the computer from the power supply, open the system unit, and you will find a battery on the motherboard. Press the latch and remove the battery.
Install a new one, similar in markings. Start the PC with a new battery. Set the current time and date in the BIOS and OS.
If the issue is time zone, then in the settings you need to set the time, date and time zone. Corrected data must be synchronized with the server, then everything will be fine. 
If the OS is not updated, update it in the Update Center, and set the time zone, indicate the city closest to you, then set the time. 
If you are unable to update, then download a new version of Windows, which contains all the update packages. This step may cause problems for an inexperienced user, in which case the help of a specialist will be needed.
Use only licensed software so that downloaded utilities of dubious quality do not cause you problems, including losing time on your computer.
If you suspect that the cause is viruses, use a special utility to check if there are any malware on your PC. If you find it, delete it, or better yet, invite a professional to do this.
We will help you fix the error when the time goes wrong after turning off the computer
If you still have questions on this topic, or you are unable to cope with the problem described above on your own, contact the Expert service center. There are real professionals working here who can easily determine the cause and eliminate it.
If on your computer time and date are reset. If BIOS settings are reset. If Windows loading is disrupted (for example, Windows boots the second time). It came time to change the CMOS battery on the motherboard in your system unit! Here is the answer to the question: “Why does the time on the computer go wrong?”!
After replacing the battery, the first time you turn on the computer, the factory settings stored in the BIOS will be “reset” to the CMOS memory. This, by the way, is one of the ways to fix the problem if you are too clever with the BIOS settings. To do this, you need to turn off the computer, remove the battery from the motherboard for 30 seconds, install it back, and the factory BIOS settings will be restored and the computer will work again.
CMOS Battery Life
The battery life is 3−5 years. However, there are exceptions - some batteries last longer (high-quality) or less (due to defects). If the battery is the cause, then most likely other user settings will be lost along with the clock.
What is BIOS and CMOS
For those who encountered the word BIOS for the first time, I’ll explain. BIOS(English: basic input/output system - “basic input/output system”), also BSVV, is a piece of system software implemented in the form of microprograms, which is intended to provide the operating system with API access to the computer hardware and devices connected to it.
CMOS(name of the technology by which the chip is produced: Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor - complementary metal oxide semiconductor or CMOS). In addition to BIOS settings, CMOS stores computer configuration settings.
Another reason to reset the date and time
Second The reason that the time on the computer is lost may be the incorrect choice of time zone your region. It is important that the time you set matches your time zone. If the time zone is set correctly, the battery is good, and the time on your computer is still off, then we can assume that your system does not have the latest updates and there are disagreements with the time server on the Internet. To ensure that the time on your computer does not go astray, you need to do the following.
On the clock in the tray, right-click and a context menu will open. Next, select the item Setting date and time.
On the Date and Time tab, select - Change time zone.
Uncheck the Automatic switch to daylight saving time and back option and click OK.
Next, go to the Internet Time tab and click - Change settings.
Let's talk about why the time on a computer gets lost. People new to the design of modern computing systems often find it difficult to believe that such failures are possible.
Indeed, even the most advanced artificial satellites of the Earth are controlled by computers, which indicates high reliability, but here... a banal violation of the clock. However, everything is natural, and people at the control center know why the time on a computer gets lost and how to avoid it. Why does it happen that high-tech devices cannot count down the seconds of a minute? There are several reasons why your watch may fail.
Battery in a computer
The motherboard of any modern computing system always contains a low-voltage chemical power source. Its tasks are simple: saving user settings and keeping the clock running. If you press the Delete button immediately after turning on the computer, the “BIOS” windows will appear. This is the shell of a small program embedded in a special chip. If you adjust the settings and click “Save”, then the next time you turn on the BIOS will consider exactly them, including the clock settings.
Thus, if its charge is exhausted, then when the system is turned on, the “default” settings will be read, and the clock will start running from 00:00.
How to change the power source
If you open the cover of the system unit and carefully examine the motherboard, you can see a coin-cell battery on it. The current consumed by the circuits is so small that the charge lasts for many years. Replacing the battery in a computer is very simple:
Open the case of the system unit disconnected from the network;
Remove the battery and install a new one;
Reassemble the body;
Go to BIOS and make the necessary settings, set the exact time;
A few nuances
There is an opinion that the boards have not a simple battery installed, but an accumulator. This is a misconception, as anyone can see by reading the designation on its body. Occasionally there are boards that do not have such a battery. Their owners are much less likely to have to figure out why the time on the computer is lost. However, among the soldered elements there is always a sufficiently capacitive capacitor that performs the functions of a battery. Even if you replace CMOS with solid-state memory, the clock will still be dependent on an additional power source.
Program configuration errors
However, it is not only the battery that can cause the time on the computer to go wrong. The fact is that the Windows operating system installed on most PCs is initially configured in such a way that it synchronizes with Microsoft time servers in the background. Therefore, if there are incorrect time zone or winter time settings, you can expect anything from the watch. You can disable this function like this: “Control Panel - Date and Time - Internet Time”. As an alternative solution, you can enter another server for synchronization in the line. The one installed in your country. This will not only reduce ping (improving accuracy), but also eliminate the need to worry about the correct time zone.
Greetings, friends! My friends contacted me several times with various problems in the operation of the computer, the reason for which was the discharge of the three-volt battery inside the system unit.
And the problems were the following: someone’s anti-virus programs stopped working correctly, they began to panic because of license errors when trying to update. They refused to work with the Internet and showed errors connecting to the server. Every time I turned on the PC it happened again. And only one paid attention and asked why the time on the computer was lost after it was turned off.
Source of the problem
The CR2032 battery, the size of a ruble coin, is located on the computer and powers the CMOS memory, which stores BIOS settings, including date and time. Why is the date not lost when rebooting the computer? The fact is that at this moment the supply voltage is provided by work. And after disconnecting from the electrical network, the voltage disappears, and the data in the volatile CMOS memory is lost. Conclusion - the battery needs to be replaced.
If you have a desktop computer, then you can change it yourself. Unplug the power cord. Remove the side wall and carefully pull out the battery, pressing the lock. Put a new one in its place. And, if you are the owner of a laptop, then it is better to contact a specialist, because disassembling a laptop is much more difficult. You can also ask to clean your laptop to avoid overheating in the future.
After replacing the battery, you must set the correct date and time. This can be done in the BIOS settings or in the operating system itself. Right-click on the computer clock and select Set date and time.
On the Date and Time tab, you can change the time zone and current date and time.
Sometimes there is a problem with the transition to daylight saving time, then this is solved by updating the system. In Windows 7 and higher this problem no longer exists, but in Windows XP it may still exist.
On the Internet Time tab, you can configure your computer to automatically synchronize with a time server. Then, when you turn on your computer, it will synchronize the time with the Internet. I specify timeserver.ru as the time server. Unlike other time servers, it doesn't let me down.
I hope you gained some useful information for yourself. Have you had a similar problem and how did you solve it? Share your experience in the comments.
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If after turning off the computer the date and time are lost, then there is no need to panic. There is nothing terrible or serious about this problem. This is a problem that every computer sooner or later encounters after 2-3 years of use, and it is very easy to solve it yourself, without the help of a specialist. Now I'll show you how. First, you should understand where this problem comes from, so that you can boldly and quickly eliminate it.
After turning off the computer, the date and time are lost - the battery is to blame
The battery or, more correctly, the battery is the reason for everything. Many people are generally surprised when they find out that there is some kind of battery in the computer. However, there is. Every time you turn off your computer, this battery helps save BIOS settings, including time and date. Like lifepo4 batteries, computer batteries can be easily purchased at the store and installed in the desired device yourself.
If after turning off the computer the date and time are lost, another symptom should be observed - resetting all BIOS settings to default. The battery powers the entire BIOS.
When the computer is turned off, this battery powers the BIOS and saves all its settings; the date and time are stored there. When the computer is turned on, the battery is charged. Any battery has its own service life, so one fine day it runs out once and for all, and then after turning off the computer, the date and time are lost.
To solve the problem, you need, as is already clear, to simply change this battery. It is located on the motherboard.
How to change the battery on the motherboard
Regardless of what brand your computer is, a laptop or a system unit, the battery responsible for the time and date is located on the motherboard, and it looks the same everywhere.
Where is the battery located on the motherboard?
To replace it, do the following:
- Turn off your computer.
- Open the computer case and find the battery on the motherboard (it's silver and round).
- Using your fingernail or a screwdriver, carefully pry up the battery and remove it. Now pay attention to what is written on the battery case - the marking CR2032 or CR2025 is indicated there. Go to the store and buy yourself the same one, with the same markings. These batteries are not expensive.
- Place the new battery in the same place on the motherboard where the old one was.
- Turn on the computer, set the time and date, turn off the computer. Turn it on again and make sure that the date and time are saved and are not lost.
Batteryka
When using the tool, be careful and careful not to damage other parts on the motherboard. And also be sure to carry out all operations with the computer turned off!
Sometimes access to the battery may be blocked by some device on the motherboard, for example, a video card or cables. In this case, the dismantling task becomes more complicated; you need to carefully remove the interfering part, and after completing all the procedures, put it back.
It is possible that after successfully replacing the battery, you will have to configure the BIOS and return all options to the way they were before. But if you don't understand this, then leave it as it is.
