CMOS Battery & Me!

[mokes310]

The subject of this message should be pretty clear, but I'll expand a little more. The CMOS battery on my old laptop just crapped out and I was looking to see if anyone here has replaced one in a laptop before? Any stories, insights or suggestions on replacing mine would be welcomed!

Thanks!

 

[Weaver]

I've never done one in a laptop but I can't imagine they're much different from a motherboard. The last time I changed a cmos battery was like 15 years ago. Anyways, it likely has a kind of clip over it, just carefully unclip it, slide it out and replace it with a new one. Do not break the metal clip or you're fucked.

EDIT: actually, looking at my current motherboard the battery essentially has an "eject" button, which is awesome. So just "eject" your battery and put a new one in, bam done.

 

[Ossum]

Depends on the laptop. If I recall, HP tends to keep it near the main battery or under the accessories door (where the modem, bluetooth, etc would go), IBM/Lenovo have it in the accessories door or with the memory, and Dell keeps it with the memory or under the battery.

Also it might be a shrinkwrapped affair with wires and a small 2-prong connector. CMOS batteries for laptops generally require an online search for your specific part, unless you're a lucky one and the battery's just a bog-standard CR3032 in a little holder on the motherboard.

 

[Baneat]

strip it to mobo level, there will probably b a curved metal thing holding it in place. It should be fairly obvious as to how it's replaced from there on out.

 

[o_O]

You obviously know what you're looking for. Search these wide, wide intarwebs for a technical manual for your laptop and hunt down where they put it on that particular one.

...Though if the battery really did die, that makes me think your laptop is bloody ancient and thus may not have a manual online. Best you can do then is look for what looks like a battery socket on it's mobo when you take it apart. I doubt that laptops use different batteries than the ones used in towers (those flat round batteries).

 

[demoman_chaos]

Be warned, taking apart a laptop is near suicide. The wires for very imprtant things are thinner than hair, so 1 little tug could be enough to break it and ruin the laptop.
It is best to send it in to a pro shop, that way they have to buy you a new one if something goes wrong.

 

[mokes310]

Depends on the laptop. If I recall, HP tends to keep it near the main battery or under the accessories door (where the modem, bluetooth, etc would go), IBM/Lenovo have it in the accessories door or with the memory, and Dell keeps it with the memory or under the battery.

Also it might be a shrinkwrapped affair with wires and a small 2-prong connector. CMOS batteries for laptops generally require an online search for your specific part, unless you're a lucky one and the battery's just a bog-standard CR3032 in a little holder on the motherboard.

Cool, thanks, those were the kinds of hints that I was hoping for

You obviously know what you're looking for. Search these wide, wide intarwebs for a technical manual for your laptop and hunt down where they put it on that particular one.

...Though if the battery really did die, that makes me think your laptop is bloody ancient and thus may not have a manual online. Best you can do then is look for what looks like a battery socket on it's mobo when you take it apart. I doubt that laptops use different batteries than the ones used in towers (those flat round batteries).

Yeah, the laptop is a Toshiba Satellite circa '01, and I've not been able to find any manual or schematics anywhere. I've replaced them on towers before, but never on a laptop, so this will be an adventure...all for just a couple files on that harddrive

 

[Ossum]

Depends on the laptop. If I recall, HP tends to keep it near the main battery or under the accessories door (where the modem, bluetooth, etc would go), IBM/Lenovo have it in the accessories door or with the memory, and Dell keeps it with the memory or under the battery.

Also it might be a shrinkwrapped affair with wires and a small 2-prong connector. CMOS batteries for laptops generally require an online search for your specific part, unless you're a lucky one and the battery's just a bog-standard CR3032 in a little holder on the motherboard.

Cool, thanks, those were the kinds of hints that I was hoping for

You obviously know what you're looking for. Search these wide, wide intarwebs for a technical manual for your laptop and hunt down where they put it on that particular one.

...Though if the battery really did die, that makes me think your laptop is bloody ancient and thus may not have a manual online. Best you can do then is look for what looks like a battery socket on it's mobo when you take it apart. I doubt that laptops use different batteries than the ones used in towers (those flat round batteries).

Yeah, the laptop is a Toshiba Satellite circa '01, and I've not been able to find any manual or schematics anywhere. I've replaced them on towers before, but never on a laptop, so this will be an adventure...all for just a couple files on that harddrive

If all you need is a couple files, the laptop should let you get past the prompts. Just don't disconnect the power or shut it off, or you'll have to do that again. You can also take the hard drive out and get an adapter for it, that's pretty easy too.

Also, I have a Toshiba Satellite in front of me and oh boy it does not look like a pretty job. The CMOS battery for this one (A65) is not accessible without taking the whole bottom off. The battery's basically right under the Windows XP sticker, between the door marked B4 and the main battery.

It's not impossible but it will be annoying, and that looks like a nonstandard battery so you'll have to go dig up a replacement somewhere. If you're intrepid, here's a guide: http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaA65/satA65_1.htm

Only the parts about getting the case apart should be fine, but good luck anyway.

 

[mokes310]

...Yeah, the laptop is a Toshiba Satellite circa '01, and I've not been able to find any manual or schematics anywhere. I've replaced them on towers before, but never on a laptop, so this will be an adventure...all for just a couple files on that harddrive

If all you need is a couple files, the laptop should let you get past the prompts. Just don't disconnect the power or shut it off, or you'll have to do that again. You can also take the hard drive out and get an adapter for it, that's pretty easy too.

Also, I have a Toshiba Satellite in front of me and oh boy it does not look like a pretty job. The CMOS battery for this one (A65) is not accessible without taking the whole bottom off. The battery's basically right under the Windows XP sticker, between the door marked B4 and the main battery.

It's not impossible but it will be annoying, and that looks like a nonstandard battery so you'll have to go dig up a replacement somewhere. If you're intrepid, here's a guide: http://www.irisvista.com/tech/laptops/ToshibaA65/satA65_1.htm

Only the parts about getting the case apart should be fine, but good luck anyway.[/quote]

Yeah, I've been trying to get past the prompt but nothing works. I've tried booting to the bios: nothing. I've tried just about everyting in my knowledgebase and nothing has worked.

Thanks for the info, it's pretty epic and should make this a bit more adventerous than I had initially expected. For the best answer, I award you twopointfive internets!