Why won't my old PC start up? Is it the CMOS battery?
Asked by
Techie_Tom23
I have an old PC that shows a POST screen on startup with an error saying "CMOS Date/Time Not Set." It gives me the options to either press F2 to access setup or F1 to load default values and continue. When I press F1, I encounter another problem: "Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause," with options for "Launch startup repair" or "Start Windows normally." The startup repair doesn't resolve the issue, and selecting to start Windows normally just sends me back to the POST error screen. I'm wondering if this is primarily a CMOS battery issue or if there's something else at play?
Answers
First off, definitely try replacing the CMOS battery. If it keeps showing that error after you change it, you might be dealing with a BIOS corruption issue. Until you replace the battery, it’s hard to tell what the real problem is since a dead battery will keep causing the same issue.
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Techie_Tom23: Thanks, guess I’ll have to change the battery first to rule it out. If it’s a BIOS corruption, does that mean I’ll have to reinstall Windows to fix things? I was really hoping to get my browser history/bookmarks, since I’m not very tech-savvy.