PC can't keep time

[minesweeper]

My PC clock can't keep time, it's slow. Is it likely I need a new motherboard battery? Or is it something else?

[ober]

I'd agree with Salem... there isn't much besides the battery that will affect system time.

[Shadow]

I'll have to agree with Salem. That sounds like a battery problem.

If you're always resetting your time in your operating system and are experiencing slower performance, it's probably CMOS related(or, your battery, which holds a charge to keep these settings stored).

A machine I was fixing at one time was super dog slow, and it wouldn't keep the time. It was super dog slow because the battery was dying, but still worked enough to allow the computer to boot up, so in turn, this lost the cache settings for the computer. It also caused the time to be lost.

I could replicate the speed issue on our old 486. I'd turn off some of the regions of the cache, and, it would become super dog slow.

(cache, AFAIK is the fastest form of memory possible)

[minesweeper]

Ok, assuming I need to change the battery, would the following methodology be required?:

Record all BIOS settings

Turn off PC

Switch battery

Turn on PC

Reset BIOS to previous settings

Good to go

[Shadow]

Unless your motherboard has a jumper to clear the CMOS, and it's in that position, yes, that's about it.