O/T: Computer problem

[Anonymous-0]

I've got an older pc that isn't keeping the date/time settings. I've tried a couple batteries, another new one today in fact, but it is still the same. The battery contacts look good. What else should I be looking at?

Thanks for taking the time to reply; your suggestions are appreciated.

Sincerely,

Anthony

 

[Gene Davis (Ga.)]

Sounds like the clock in it has given up the ghost

 

[Bob]

You can download a program from the site linked below that will keep the clock "in sync".
Set my clock...

 

[Allan in NE]

Are you saying that the calander is losing accuracy also?

Allan

 

[Anonymous-0]

Yes. It reverts to 12:00 a.m., January 1, 1601 every time I shut it down.

Here are the particulars on the system(using Belarc Advisor)

Operating System System Model
Windows XP Home Edition (build 2600) VIA Technologies, Inc.
Processor a Main Circuit Board b
400 megahertz Intel Celeron
32 kilobyte primary memory cache
128 kilobyte secondary memory cache Bus Clock: 66 megahertz
BIOS: Award Software International, Inc. 4.60 PGMA 01/22/99
Drives Memory Modules c,d
16.43 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity
12.38 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space

E-IDE CD-ROM 40X/AKU
3.5" format removeable media [Floppy drive]

QUANTUM FIREBALLlct10 10 [Hard drive] (10.01 GB) -- drive 1, s/n 872933229154, rev A03.0900, SMART Status: Healthy
WDC AC26400R [Hard drive] (6.45 GB) -- drive 0, s/n WD-WM6271555705, rev 15.01J55, SMART Status: Healthy

Thanks!

Anthony

 

[Allan in NE]

Uff-Da!!

Every time you just simply shut it down? We're not talking about when you unplug the AC power?

And when you say the time/date are wrong, you are saying that the settings are wrong when reading from "within Windows"? You're not talking about that time/date CMOS readout flash as it boots up are you?

Is this a laptop or an actual desktop "PC"? What brand of machine? Any other annoying symptoms?

Sorry for all the questions; just trying to figure out what you are dealing with. Different machines grab that BIOS set/memory retention in different ways.

This is normally just a simple little battery "fix" like you've already done, but could conceivably be anything from a bad IC chip to a conflict/incompatibility issue between XP and the machine’s BIOS flash, especially so, if XP has been laid in over the top of earlier versions of Windows.

However, and I gotta warn ya, if you've never updated/re-flashed a BIOS, tread very, very lightly. It is not something for the weak of heart.

Allan

 

[TomH in PA]

I know the computer still (kinda) works and probably does what you want, but you should be thinking about getting a new one before that one gives up completely. XP on a 400 MHz computer with 128MB of memory has to be painfully slow.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Yes, on every shutdown, not unplugging AC power at all.

I just checked CMOS this morning after reading your reply. CMOS is correct, but Windows is not.

It's a desktop, AOpen Custom PC, everything else works fine.

It's a Win98 w/XP upgrade machine. I've flashed the BIOS once before, will check around for an upgrade for this machine as soon as I have time.

Thanks a lot, your help is appreciated!

Anthony

 

[Anonymous-0]

Go to control panel, click on "Date & Time, then click on "Internet Time" and see what it is set on. Does it automatically synchronize with an internet time server?

 

[ChrisB]

Anthony,

Are you sure XP is reporting 1601 as the year? XP OS does not know of a date older then 1980. If it is reporting 1601 then something is amiss with the software on the computer.

See what DOS says.

Got to START then RUN and type 'CMD' and press enter ad DOS box pops up..

In the DOS box type "Date" and then enter

After that type "TIME" and then enter.

If those are different then what XP is telling you then something is amiss.


After that type "NET TIME" in the DOS box and type enter

Should return something like "COULD NOT LOCATE...."

Either way close the DOS window go to 'RUN' again and type 'MSCONFIG'

In the window that pops up click on the 'STARTUP' tab. Make note of what is checked and then uncheck everything that is checked and reboot.

Give those two a try and report back.

Almost positive that it is not your BIOS (your BIOS does not know before 1970) or XP, but you have some bogus software installed that is causing the issue.

Even though XP does not know before 1980 from a programing standpoint it can be changed through a set of APIs called SystemTime which is nothing more then the number of nanoseconds_from_01/01/1601 divided by 100.

Best guess is that something in the startup is causing it. Disable that and let us see.

Some of the softwares that might be the culprit :

Hacking software (used to circumnavigate the licensing for the software).
Any type of hibernation or sleep software for the computer
even screensavers.

Good Luck

 

[ChrisB]

Sugar....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I hit submit it dawned on me as I was not paying attention to the BIOS change that you mentioned.

XP is the first OS that requires a 100% ACPI compliant BIOS.

Go into your BIOS and see if ACPI is enabled. If not enable it. When you changed the battery (given the age of the BIOS) it would most likely changed to disabled.

If it is enabled the previous post still applies, bit it might also mean that your BIOS is not 100% ACPI compliant. XP should report any errors regarding ACPI in your event viewer.

 

[2t2@IA]

I do not have an answer. Howeverrrrrrrr, I have heard many say that upgrading from W98 2ed to XP frequently has its problems. When I changed operating systems on the computers I work with, I reformatted the hard disk and installed XP, with little trouble.

 

[Allan in NE]

Ah Ha!

Good job and good thinking!

If the CMOS is correct and Windows isn't, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with your computer itself.

Problem is soft. Meaning that it is a software issue only. Windows is probably corrupt or possible trojan/spy problem?

Allan