The time on the computer is off, the battery is new. Causes of time failure on a laptop and how to fix them

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.

Greetings, dear readers! It is simply impossible to avoid problems with the operation of computer equipment at all stages of its operation. A fairly common issue among users is time failure on their computer or laptop.

The main reason for incorrect timer readings is a low battery on the motherboard. Incorrect time zone settings, erroneous synchronization with the server, an operating system that has not been updated for a long time, the use of inappropriate activators and utilities, as well as computer viruses can also cause time and date failure on a PC.

As you probably already guessed, today’s article will talk about Why does the time on the computer go wrong?. We will learn the main factors that primarily contribute to a sudden change in the date and time on a personal computer.

The time on the computer is lost

Low battery on motherboard

To save BIOS settings and correct timer operation, a personal computer requires a power source. When connected to the mains, voltage is supplied to the motherboard. If the PC is disconnected from the network, the battery located in the heart of the motherboard becomes the power source. Signs of a dead battery will include the following signals:

— at rare or frequent intervals, the date and time are reset (calendar settings change depending on the release date of the motherboard);

— when you turn on the PC, messages appear on the screen warning of an error or low battery potential: “CMOS Battery State Low” or “CMOS Checksum Error”;

— when starting the computer, the system requires you to press the F1 (continue to boot the PC) or F2 (set default settings) keys;

— the browser often informs about expired certificates of sites being opened, due to the large difference between the local time of the personal computer and the date of the web resource certificate;

— anti-virus and other user programs do not work correctly due to links to outdated databases or loss of the license key (in some cases they simply do not start).

Most often, modern motherboards use CR series batteries with numbers 2016, 2025 and 2032.

To replace the battery, you will need to turn off the computer's power, open the cover of the system unit case, locate the battery in the motherboard, carefully move the latch to the side, remove the old battery and insert a similar new one. After this, you need to turn on the computer and update the current time in the PC BIOS. Speaking of BIOS, you can read this article:

Incorrect time settings on PC

Despite the government canceling the transition to winter/summer time, some operating systems still continue to automatically “adjust the clocks.” To avoid such a misunderstanding, you need to disable automatic translation in the settings of your personal computer. Here's another reason why the time on your computer gets lost.

To do this, right-click on the timer located in the lower right corner of the monitor and select the “Set date and time” option. Next, make changes to the time zone and uncheck the “Automatic transition to daylight saving time and back” checkbox (Fig. 1).

Sometimes operating systems default to updates that affect the current time. When accessing the Internet, the OS automatically synchronizes with the server and independently updates the time for the appropriate time zone of the PC user. Some servers “out of old memory” continue to transfer computers to the “new” time. To achieve real-time results, you must also address the date and time settings. In the “Internet Time” tab, you need to click on “Change settings” and uncheck the “Synchronize with Internet time server” checkbox (Fig. 2).

If the time on your computer is exactly an hour forward or backward, then you can eliminate this problem by setting and changing the time zone indicating the nearest city.

To do this, you will need to go to the Update Center, update the OS packages and set the correct date and time (Figure 3).

At any time, computer or laptop users may encounter a situation wheredate and time are not displayed correctly. What does this mean? Incorrectly set date and time can cause a number of problems related to computer operation. This could be a failure to launch programs, an inability to visit certain sites, and much more.

There are 5 main reasons for this situation, which we will discuss in this article.

1 reason. Worn out motherboard battery

If the time and year on the watch do not correspond to reality, that is, it constantly shows a couple of years ago, then most likely Motherboard battery is dead. Why is it needed? On the motherboards of any computer equipment, be it a laptop or a computer, there is a battery (“tablet”), the function of which is to save the BIOS data, respectively, the date and time, after the device is turned off.

A sign that it’s time to change the battery may also be the appearance of a black screen “CMOS checksum error – Default loaded” before Windows boots, asking you to press the F1 or F2 key to enter the necessary settings.

This problem is resolved by replacing the damaged battery with a new one. This is much easier to do on a desktop computer than on a laptop. To change the battery on a computer You need to remove the side cover of the system unit, find the battery on the motherboard and replace it. Important! Three types of batteries are used to power the motherboard, so before buying a new one, remove the dead one, show it to the seller and purchase a similar one.

Each laptop has its own design features, therefore, without special skills and equipment, even replacing the battery can be problematic. If The time on the laptop keeps getting lost, then it’s better to contact the service center instead of trying to fix the problem yourself, so that the incorrectly displayed date does not add to the breakdown of the case, or worse, you don’t have to do it later.

Reason 2. Incorrect time zone selected

Another reason why the date and time is displayed incorrectly may be incorrect time zone, which does not correspond to the actual geographical location. In this case, after each start of the computer, it will synchronize the time with the set time zone and accordingly set the time with a certain difference.

To fix the problem, just click on the clock panel and make the appropriate changes to the time zone. If the actions taken did not lead to the desired result, there are several other reasons why the date may be off.

Reason 3. Activator programs

Activator programs are intended to reset the use of the trial period of paid applications. They make changes to the date and time, thus extending the trial (free) period of using the software.

If you have such software installed on your computer or laptop, try uninstalling it. If after removing the activator nothing has changed, the date is still displayed incorrectly, reinstall the operating system.

4th reason. Viruses

Viruses can cause a lot of problems for computer equipment owners. They can make changes to various system files, in particular those responsible for displaying the date and time.

To save yourself from such trouble scan your operating system antivirus software, or better yet several at once, not just the one already installed on the PC. After identifying malicious code, clean it up.

5th reason. Motherboard failure

If the above steps still fail to display the correct date and time, the problem may be with the motherboard. Static discharges, various motherboard defects may lead to a BIOS reset. Service center specialists will help diagnose and fix this problem.

In most cases, it is these factors that lead to incorrect date and time output. If you carefully re-read the article and did everything correctly, then there should be no problems with the date and time on your laptop or computer being lost.

BIOS settings directly affect the operation of computer components. Information about the settings of the base system is stored in the CMOS chip, which has very limited memory. This is due to the fact that this chip must retain information even if the power from the computer is completely disconnected. It stores not only BIOS settings, but also date and time information, as well as key computer boot parameters. If the date and time on the computer gets lost after each reboot, it means that the CMOS chip is to blame because it does not save information. In this article, we will look at what may be causing this and how to fix this problem.

The date and time on the computer is lost due to the battery on the motherboard

The most common cause of CMOS memory reset is a dead battery on the computer motherboard. Motherboards, both stationary system units and laptops, are equipped with a position for installing an autonomous power supply of the CR2032 class, designed for a voltage of 3 Volts. It is responsible for the operation of CMOS memory even when power is completely disconnected from the computer. Accordingly, if this battery is discharged, the computer’s date and time will begin to change after it is turned off, and the installed BIOS settings will be set to the “default” value.

In such a situation, you need to replace the battery on the motherboard, to do this:

Important: If the battery was not securely fastened in the “socket” upon detection, you can try to fix it and turn on the computer again, adjust the time, and then reboot. It is possible that the battery is working, but it “jumped out” of the motherboard.

1. After removing the battery from the motherboard, insert a new one in its place and securely fix it;
2. Turn on your computer, launch the BIOS and make the necessary settings.

When buying a new battery, it is better to pay attention to lithium options rather than salt ones. The fact is that such a power source is inexpensive, and the lithium version can last up to 10 years, while the salt version will use up its resource in 2-3 years.

Resetting the date and time on your computer for other reasons

In most cases, when you restart your computer, the BIOS and time settings are not saved due to power issues. However, if the problem persists after replacing the battery, there are a few more ways that can help correct the situation:

If, after following all the recommendations, the date and time on the computer continues to go wrong, most likely the problem is related to the motherboard. In such a situation, you need to contact a specialized service center, where the board will be checked using diagnostic equipment, and then the technicians will be able to fix the problem by “resoldering” the faulty component.

The topic that I decided to touch upon in this article today is very popular among users. There are actually quite a few reasons why the time and date on a computer get lost. There may be several reasons, but dealing with all of them does not present any serious difficulties.

As usual, I will tell you about them in detail, after which you can determine what happened to the Windows settings on your computer. Here we go?

Battery

The main reason when you have problems with time is the battery in your device. It would seem that the computer seems to be working, the time is as it should, but after a reboot everything goes wrong and of course this is a little scary. Because of the battery, which is a necessary part in the computer, you may have such problems.

When you turn off your computer, how do you think the computer or laptop remembers the time? That's right - battery! Of course, this battery is needed not only for the computer to remember the time, but also for the safety of data in the BIOS. As you understand, batteries tend to discharge and therefore sometimes need to be replaced.

Motherboard

It is possible that you have problems with your motherboard. The solution is of course simple: first, test and second, replace. The motherboard costs a lot of money, so consider whether it’s worth replacing it at all or thinking about buying a new computer. After all, problems with the motherboard occur due to long service life, that is, it is possible that your computer is a little outdated. But if your computer is under warranty, then you can use it so as not to spend money and figure it out yourself.

Also, a failure of the motherboard may be accompanied by the computer automatically shutting down or simply rebooting. If you have recently noticed such actions on the part of your computer, then you need to test the motherboard or contact a service center to identify the cause.

Viruses

But what to do in the most incomprehensible situation? I mean the case when you have done everything I said above, but the question of why the time and date on the computer is lost remains unresolved. There are viruses that can change time. This, of course, may sound very banal, but still, to be 100% sure, download the Dr. program. WebCureit. Use it to check your system for malware.

I already wrote about one of these utilities on the blog: “”. And for the future, take note: do not open suspicious links and install an antivirus that is configured to automatically update the anti-virus databases.

Wrong time zone

To do this, left-click on the icon with the time and date in the lower right corner of the screen, and in the window that appears with a picture of a clock, click on the inscription “Change date and time settings.”

On the “Date and Time” tab we find the “Change time zone” button.

In the window that appears, change the time zone where you are now. Then click “OK”. The normal time should now be displayed.

However, our manual configuration does not end there. The fact is that the computer still continues to support the function of synchronizing time with the Internet and it is possible that your time is not synchronized. The “Date and Time” window is not yet closed. This time we are interested in the “Internet Time” tab; it has a “Change Settings” button. Click the "Update Now" button and click "OK".

Now the time should show exactly as much as it actually is. You can also remove synchronization, but the first option will be more correct.

That's all I wanted to tell you about this matter. I hope that now the computer will always show you the correct time. And I say goodbye to you until the next meeting.