I recently updated my MSI B450M Pro-VDH Max motherboard's BIOS to version 7A38vBO, and now my PC isn't keeping time when it's turned off. Every time I power down, the clock freezes. For example, if I shut down at 2 AM on September 16, 2025, and turn it back on the next day at 10 PM, it still shows 2 AM on September 16, 2025. I've synced the time with a server in Windows 10, but it still doesn't work when the system is off. This issue started about 4-5 days ago, right after the BIOS update.
I've tried a few troubleshooting steps: reinstalling the BIOS, replacing the CMOS battery (despite the old one seeming fine), reseating both RAM sticks, turning off Memory Fast Boot, and resetting the BIOS multiple times.
Could malware be causing this? I run Avast Free Version, and it hasn't flagged anything. Is this likely a hardware issue? It didn't happen before the BIOS update, which I performed due to an AMD security patch.
Any suggestions for resolving this?
2 Answers
Are you dual booting with anything like Linux, or just Windows 10? And just to double-check, are you sure the new battery is good? Try setting the clock to UTC in the BIOS if that's an option—it sometimes helps with time issues.
You mentioned the issue started right after your BIOS update. Have you thought about rolling back to the previous BIOS version? That could potentially resolve the problem if the new update is the culprit. It's not usually recommended to downgrade, but sometimes it's necessary if a new update has problems. Let me know how that goes!
I never tried reverting back, but I’ll give it a shot and see if it helps!
I’m only running Windows 10. The battery is fresh out of the package, a Duracell CR2032. The previous battery was fine too, but I replaced it just in case. Unfortunately, I don't see any options for UTC or timezone settings in the BIOS, just the date and time.