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Christian InTech Articles - Computers
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Computer Hygiene - Take Out The Trash!
Do you find that your computer exhibits one or more of the following behaviors? - Inexplicable message or warning pop-ups - Frequent unsolicited reboots - Your favorite application often crashes - Applications now start up sluggishly - Your...
Expansion Slots, Cards, and Bays: Choosing the right computer case
An expansion card in computing is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard to add additional functionality to a computer system.
One edge of the expansion card holds the contacts that fit...
Great Plains Dexterity History and Programming Overview
As of now - Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into Microsoft Great Plains and Microsoft Business Solutions is in process of merging all its accounting applications: Great Plains, Solomon, Navision and Axapta into somewhat...
Hubris - definition: Microsoft's Passport
Before September of 1995, Microsoft ignored the Internet because their 16-bit Windows 3.1 operating system couldn't handle the 32-bit Internet world. With the introduction of Windows 95, Microsoft decided they owned the Internet.
Instead of...
Photomosaic Artistry
DTG defines photo mosaics as photographic images or pictures made up of many, usually hundreds, of smaller photographic images. Viewed very closely, the small tile images can be recognized as individual photos, but at a distance, the composite of...
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Your Computer Can't Keep Time
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Permission is granted for the below article to forward,
reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,
offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as long
as no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and the
resource box below is included.
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Your Computer Can't Keep Time
By Stephen Bucaro
A computer needs a certain amount of information to
operate; for example, the date and time, the amount of
memory installed, the number of drives and their
configuration, and so on. In the early days of computers,
either the user typed in this information each time the
computer started, or it was set using DIP switches and
jumpers. Today, computers store this information in a CMOS
chip that uses a small battery to retain the information
when the computer is shut off.
CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) is type of
chip that consumes very little power; therefore, while the
computer is turned off, the battery discharges very slowly. But
the battery will totally discharge if you leave your
computer turned off for a year or so. Even if you turn
your computer on every day, the battery is designed to
last only a couple of years. Occasionally a battery will
fail prematurely.
Today's plug-and-play computers can detect most of the
necessary settings, but if your CMOS battery is dead, your
computer will not be able to retain the date and time. The
computer will also lose any custom settings, for example,
the boot sequence. If you set a password in CMOS, you may
be locked out of the computer. If the CMOS battery does fail,
you might receive the message "System Configuration Lost"
when you start the computer. It would be wise to record all
the CMOS settings as a precaution.
To record the CMOS settings, watch for an on-screen prompt
when you first start your computer. The prompt tells you to
press a key, usually the Del or F2, to enter CMOS. To enter
the CMOS configuration utility, you have to press the
indicated key while the message is on the screen. After the
CMOS configuration
screen appears, follow the instructions
provided to page through all the screens and record all the
settings.
If your computer loses its time setting overnight, the CMOS
battery may not be holding a charge. The CMOS battery is
located inside the case on the motherboard. Changing the
battery is usually a job for a computer technician. In fact,
a layman might not even be able to find the battery.
If you want to locate the CMOS battery in your computer, be
aware that a static discharge from your hands can damage
components inside the case. After taking proper precautions,
open the case and look on the motherboard for a battery. If
you have a diagram of your motherboard, locate the battery
on the diagram first.
Different motherboards use different types of batteries. The
battery may be shaped like a barrel or a coin. Some
motherboards use a component that resembles a chip which
contains the CMOS and the battery (made by DALLAS or
Benchmarq). Batteries come in different voltages, so make
sure you get an exact replacement.
Sometimes the battery is mounted in a holder. Sometimes it
is soldered to the motherboard. De-soldering and re-soldering
a battery is usually a job for a computer technician. An
inexperienced solderer can cause a lot of damage. If you
want to try to do it yourself, first practice on an obsolete
circuit board. You may change your mind.
If the CMOS battery has failed because it's too old, this
might be an opportunity to upgrade your motherboard. When
upgrading a motherboard, the most important considerations
are to make sure the new motherboard is the correct form
factor for your case, and that the new motherboard has the
correct bus connector slots for your expansion boards.
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Resource Box:
Copyright(C)2002 Bucaro TecHelp. To learn how to maintain
your computer and use it more effectively to design a Web
site and make money on the Web visit http://bucarotechelp.com
To subscribe to Bucaro TecHelp Newsletter Send a blank
email to mailto:bucarotechelp-subscribe@topica.com
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