the clock keeps changing time!

eurotrotter · 18-11-2008 10:30am #1

Hey guys
hope all is well
i have a dell desktop that i bought in 2004
the clock in the system tray keeps changing time after i turn it on.
i dont know whats wrong with it
i even did a fresh install and reformat (other way around!) and its still the same!

any ideas?

thanks in advance,
Ed

cython · 18-11-2008 11:03am

It's possible that the CMOS battery isn't maintaining the system time when you turn off the computer. What does the time/date get changed to? Or is it different each time?

eurotrotter · 18-11-2008 4:56pm

thanks for teh reply
it changes to january 2004!
thanks again
ed

cython wrote: »

It's possible that the CMOS battery isn't maintaining the system time when you turn off the computer. What does the time/date get changed to? Or is it different each time?

Capt'n Midnight · 19-11-2008 1:20am

jan 2004 - yeah sounds like the battery
check and see does it only loose time when unplugged or someone may have set the password/cmos clear jumper

Khannie · 19-11-2008 12:51pm

+1 for cmos battery theory. It's the coin shaped battery on your motherboard. You should be able to get a replacement at your local jewellers (or possibly garage as car remotes use coin batteries).

edit: Sheesh....they're only lasting 4 years now. Pretty crappy.

thumpybum · 19-11-2008 1:32pm

I had the same issue on my 4 yr old laptop about 6 months ago, it would stay in time for a few days and then come to a full stop or revert back to manufacturer date, was thinking battery too but after much googling I changed the internet time server that it was auto updating from and its stayed in ever since. worth a try.

Stephen · 19-11-2008 5:24pm

Set your time server to pool.ntp.org if you are using one. There's a registry key you can change in Windows to make it update more frequently if you can't be arsed with changing the battery

Sam Vimes · 19-11-2008 6:07pm

another +1 for the battery's dying. you can get them for a few euro in maplin

eurotrotter · 20-11-2008 9:06am

i also have this issue on start up every single time, i wonder if its related to the battery:

any ideas what this might be
thanks
ed

Stephen · 20-11-2008 9:44am

That's just indicating that the BIOS thinks something is not configured correctly in it. Since that's a Dell it might be worth installing their OMCI client, which will tell you if the battery voltage is low or anything like that.

Here's some instructions for making Windows sync the clock more frequently: http://dossy.org/2007/02/make-winxps-ntp-client-poll-more-frequently/

the clock keeps changing time!

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