Computer won't boot if CMOS battery is inserted?? Nor will it if CMOS battery isn't inserted..?

Question

Hello..
My computer won't boot past the "Hp" Bios screen if i have a CMOS battery inserted.. If i remove the battery, I can boot fine.. I want to use this pc as a server, without a keyboard/mouse or monitor. If i start without CMOS battery, it'll ask me to press F2 to resume boot, or something like that..

Does anyone have any idea why it locks up when CMOS battery is inserted, and works fine when there is no CMOS battery inserted??

Please note: I have tested two (2) CR2032 batterys, and one CR2025.. all to no avail.

I turned the pc off. came back again 10mins later.. to find it now doesnt even boot at all.. Any ideas?

Thanks,
Andrew

Del Piero@:
"Sounds like the CMOS chip has gone to silicon heaven. "
But even when no CMOS battery is inserted. it still doesn't boot.. Any ideas?

blessed_thang@:
But i cant boot from floppy or CD-ROM to actually start a bios upgrade.. I cant get past the Blue HP logo screen.

ELfaGeek@:
Its not a server... Its a standard x86 pc.. which i installed Server 2003 on, and am using as a server.

its about 8 years old..
I tried a few fully charged batterys.. that should work fine.. but didnt change anything.
Warranty ended probably about 6 years ago.. It'd be cheaper to buy a new pc to use as a server..
Its only a Pentium 3 800Mhz... with 256MB of SDRAM, and a 20GB HDD..

This wasn't answered by ANYONE on Yahoo answers.. The same question (posted by me), can be read at:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=779409&p=1
It also includes the final ideas.. and how i got it working.. Nothing to do with what you guy's have said..

Answer 1

At this point I would opinion you have nothing to lose by flashing the CMOS. I know the AWARD website has the download to make a floppy that will flash the bios. After that, I'd try to boot with a DOS floppy, like a WIN98 or WIN95 bootable. Search online for a DOS floppy boot configured zip.

Answer 2

I see this a lot and people are always perplexed by it. Older systems will not boot with a dead cmos battery as they are solely dependent on that device for hardware information. Newer systems however have a non-volatile ram chip manufactured right onto the motherboard that contains this information, so if the cmos battery did die for example, the only thing you would notice is the time and date would be wrong. I suspect in your case however that your motherboard is simply bad.

Answer 3

A lifeless CMOS battery does not save your pc from commencing. There are plenty and many issues that could desire to probably be incorrect. The RAM could desire to be fried or no longer seated wisely. The CPU could desire to be fried or no longer seated wisely. the warmth sink could desire to be malfunctioning and inflicting the CPU to overheat and close down. The video card could desire to be fried. the potential furnish could desire to be fried. What have you ever carried out to substantiate the status of the difficult stress? Are you particular it applications, or did they only inform you it did? comparable with the motherboard. If the CMOS battery became lifeless you are able to nonetheless get a BIOS demonstrate. If the pc won't swap on in any respect a probable suspect is the potential furnish, yet whilst its turning on yet won't boot the working gadget there could desire to be any style of issues.

Answer 4

You didn't tell us if you replaced the old CMOS battery with a fresh, fully charged one of the correct type, or how old the computer is.

If you did use a new battery, then you should take the PC in for service, your "server" comment indicates DEEPER issues.

Answer 5

Sounds like the CMOS chip has gone to silicon heaven.