What is a CMOS battery?

Question

I've had my computer for a little over a year. Was brand new. Should it need changing already? I ask because my clock doesn't keep real time.

Answer 1

Also known as a RTC/NVRAM or CMOS RAM, CMOS is short for Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor. CMOS is an on-board semiconductor chip powered by a CMOS battery inside IBM compatible computers that stores information such as the system time and system settings for your computer. A CMOS is similar to the Apple Macintosh computer's PRAM. If the battery dies then you can still boot your machine but there will be no settings saved. :) The batteries are cheap...

Answer 2

I don't know about the computer not booting up, but if without it, your computer won't remember the BIOS setting that you configured for your motherboard. It also looses the time. Everything that is remembered by your computer after turning off, (Excluding saved Files) are saved in the CMOS which helps the computer Remember important information.

Answer 3

The battery that keeps power to your main board to hold settings.
Such as Time/date and Cmos/Bios settings

Answer 4

It is about the size of a dime or a nickle, and it keep power to the CMOS so it keeps the date and time setting and also the BIOS settings as well.

Answer 5

The only battery on your mobo.
Located in the right lower part (usually).
If you remove it - your bios and cmos will be reset so you computer will go back to factory settings (you HDD data will still be there, don't worry :)).

Answer 6

A CMOS battery powers the motherboard board semiconductor chip ...;

Answer 7

It is a small battery inside your computer that keeps power for the most essential directions that allow your computer to start up. When it says it needs to be replaced you need to have it done or eventually your computer won't boot.

Answer 8

a CR2023 lithium

Answer 9

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CMOS_battery