CMOS error on boot

[boxcartenant]

I have a Gateway DX4300-03 (the one with AMD processors)
If it matters, customizations I've made to my PC include:
1. Removal of all packaged ..."cards"? (tv tuner, modem or whatever etc on back of computer) (they sell for more than their price in the packaged deal )
2. Addition of ATI Raedon 4800 series
3. Upgrade power supply to Diablotek PHD series 650 watt ATX power supply
--Other than that, the hardware has not been changed from factory build. Those changes were made several months before the problems occurred.

A lot of the time, when I turn on my PC I get a CMOS error and the option to boot default values (F2) or enter setup (F1). Entering setup reveals that the clock is set to some date in 2009, but the rest of the values in CMOS settings and the BIOS are normal. Booting default values has the clock set to that same date in 2009. I do not have a backup for either the CMOS or the BIOS.

I cannot consistently reproduce the problem, so I will have more details about the error messages later.

The problem began when I returned from a trip and realized my computer had been left on all week. (locked, not tampered with...)

I can't find the CMOS battery on my motherboard, but I do know what a CMOS battery looks like, and I've changed them on older computers. I was thinking about changing it to solve the problem. I've heard that newer motherboards don't have normal (coin resembling) CMOS batteries. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong place.

If anyone out there knows someone with my model of computer and could get me a backup of their CMOS, I imagine that *might* solve my problem.

I don't have a motherboard manual or a motherboard cd with crashfree recovery, but I'd like one.

Any ideas? Please help! Thanks!

[Salmon Trout]

You called yourself zslader on Fixya, and you just got this answer

you can locate it near the pci slot its thumb size battery lithium

He's right!

[boxcartenant]

For real? I thought fixya was gonna make me pay for that answer.

Anyway.... virus scan came back no infections. I'll look at that place on the motherboard tonight, but it seems like something I would have noticed last time I opened it if that were the place. I'll post again later.

Thanks!

[Salmon Trout]

Here's a clearer picture. The motherboard is actually the Foxconn Bengal RS780. See the battery?

[wagpofafi]

you can try to remove the CMOS bat,then clean it,by rubbing it with clean cloth,then put it back on,then try it if it worked,if not i think replacing your CMOS bat with a new one will fix the problem.and you were having problem to locate the CMOS bat?the CMOS bat is located between the PCIE Video card slot and the PCI slot.

how to replace CMOS bat
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000239.htm

[img=http://s4.postimage.org/25fekjiuc/cmos.jpg]http://

this is the location of your CMOS bat