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Author Topic: CMOS won't save settings (checked battery)  (Read 2340 times)

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Linux711

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CMOS won't save settings (checked battery)
« on: November 20, 2009, 11:47:30 PM »
I have an ancient compaq 5BW130 that I fit into a modded IBM PC XT case.  :) Don't tell me to get a new computer! I am trying to see how fast I can make it. I decided to get a graphics card for it and when I opened it up, I realized that the whole time the CMOS jumper was set to clear. It had been working fine that way for probably about a year. Now that I have a graphics card, this becomes a problem because I need it to save settings to CMOS. So I turned it off and moved the jumper to normal and then turned it back on again. It booted and started scanning RAM for errors. After that, it said that it reset to default settings and restarted. But when it restarted, it did the same thing again (scanning RAM, setting to default...) and kept restarting until I powered it off. So the only way it will boot is if the CMOS jumper is set to clear.

How can I make it save settings to CMOS so that I can change from on-board video to graphic card?
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Re: CMOS won't save settings (checked battery)
« Reply #1 on: November 21, 2009, 06:55:03 AM »
Replace the CMOS battery...part # CR2032
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Linux711

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Re: CMOS won't save settings (checked battery)
« Reply #2 on: November 21, 2009, 01:02:46 PM »
I checked the battery as it says in the title. I used a volt meter and it was about 3.08 volts. I also tried taking out the battery and hooking it up to a DC power supply set to 3.1 volts. It's not the battery.

I am starting to think they labeled the motherboard wrong in the factory because when I put the jumper back to CMOS clear position, it started saving all the settings.

This should be OK for now. I'll post later if I have problems when I install the card.
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Re: CMOS won't save settings (checked battery)
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2009, 06:58:25 AM »
I am starting to think they labeled the motherboard wrong in the factory because when I put the jumper back to CMOS clear position, it started saving all the settings.

I ran across that once on an older MSI board.  I guess stranger things have happened though.
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