Replace PC BIOS Battery

[roker]

I have a Descktop PC that is about 8 year old, I still use it ocationally. Should I consider replacing the BIOS battery before I have problems? and if I do will I loose the BIOS settings?

 

[StrangleHold]

Up to you really. I usually dont till they die or the bios starts acting up because it is dying. But yes, changing the battery will reset the bios settings to default.

 

[Aastii]

If you replace the battery the CMOS will be cleared, so you will go back to stock BIOS settings. If you haven't changed anything, then no, no settings will be changed. Unless you are having problems relating to the BIOS, you shouldn't need to replace the BIOS battery, because it is still doing its job of maintaining power to the BIOS perfectly

 

[voyagerfan99]

I'm just going to pop in and say that the CMOS battery will not reset the BIOS back to default unless the entire machine loses power. So as long as you keep the power cord plugged in when you change the battery, nothing in the BIOS will change.

Though someone who is not very tech savvy should probably unplug the power when working inside the machine.

 

[tremmor]

should replace the battery. good for about 5 yrs. Good indication is loosing clock time and date. change it out. its cheap enough.

 

[dave1701]

I have a P3 that is still being used and I would really consider changing the battery unless it fails, and if it does, it wont really hurt anything

 

[gamblingman]

I agree with Voyager, and usually when I work on home computers with over 5 years on them I just replace the battery. Its just cheap and easy insurance.

If you're going to change the battery, go ahead and clean out the crud (dust, dirt, etc...) at the same time. Also do a quick check the hardware, is there any cracking insulation on cables, check cable/board connections to be sure they are all still seated securely, do you see any corrosion or burnt areas on the boards, look for any unusual discoloration of parts, and so forth. I do those kind of quick checks of the hardware when I open any computer (regardless of age) as just preventive maintenance.