CMOS battery 2032

[peterr]

Hello
Speccy says my CMOS battery is 1.620 v.
I thought the CMOS battery was a 3. v one - 2032.
Could you please clarify? Speccy has given false reports before so I want to be sure what to get for my Dell XPS 8300 .
TY
Peter

 

[PseFrank]

Hi Peter, what is the make and model of the computer in question. And is it a laptop or a desktop?

Without more information I would say that you are correct in your assumption regarding what the battery should be...........CR2032

I cannot remember what the CR stands for, but the 20 is the diameter of the cell/battery in millimetres and the 32 means the battery is 3.2mm thick.

Note: Some laptops may have a different size battery!

I would suggest removing the old battery and checking which type you need, and then replacing the battery. Hopefully it will be just a clip in battery, as opposed to one that is soldered to the motherboard.

 

[peterr]

It is a Dell XPS 8300 desktop.
There is a small clip you press that and take the battery out I will likely bring the battery to a store for replacement 2032 three volt battery.
Speccy must have been reporting not the battery but the amount of volts remaining, I would guess.

 

[Tony D]

I think Dougie posted this once:

The C means that the battery is a lithium electrode organic electrolyte manganese dioxide electrode type.
The R simply means that the battery is round.
The first two digits (20) represent the diameter of the battery in millimeters. 20mm
The second two digits (32) represent the thickness of the battery. 3.2mm
3V stands for 3 volts.

 

[peterr]

Hello again
I have tried to gently remove that CMOS battery but I cannot get it out. I don't want to press on the board to pry and I don't want to damage the clip as it is the positive piece for continuity.
The manual is of no detailed help. It seems it is something you luckily do, or break.
Has any one confronted this type of clip?
Is looks a bit like a spring. I don't now if I should press on the piece outside of the battery to lift it or with a fingernail pick it up on the battery side where it is held down.
I have tried pushing and pulling to no avail.
Has anyone had any actual experience with this?
Thank you
Peter

 

[PseFrank]

Thanks for getting back to us Peter. Sometimes they can be a little tricky to spring them out. The trouble is that there's more than one design of cmos battery holder (read probably several). So it's difficult to offer you any long distance help. If you really are having trouble getting the existing battery out, then I would suggest taking your PC to the local repair shop and ask them to replace the battery for you. I would guess that the cost would be no more than $10 to $15 including the cost of the new battery. A technician should be able to do this in no more than a couple of minutes.

Tip: Lay your computer on your desk or table with the motherboard facing upwards. This should make it a bit easier to get at.

 

[Tony D]

Adding to PseFrank's advice, go to YouTube and search for 'replace bios battery'. You'll find videos.

I don't like using a screwdriver because they are metal and may short out something. I use a wooded stick called an Orange Stick.

 

[peterr]

A shop is a good idea. I have searched for tutorials on YouTube but none show the actual 'way to do it". They show people struggling.
The manual is of no use. Thank you for the idea.
I would not use metal but have some old credit cards and plastic pencils(no lead0 I use to poke around lightly.
I did not want to pry against the oard nor break tis clip as it is the positive piee for continuity.
Dell - every other one is so easy but not theirs.
TY
Peter

 

[peterr]

View: https://youtu.be/EUF5g2QwdzU


This is the best I found.

 

[DSTM]

Hi Peterr.
I watched this video and he made a Boo Boo.

He didn't after turning the computer off initially, drain the electrostatic build up from the Hardware.

Not doing this can damage or shorten the life of computer components.

 

[peterr]

I think I am supposed to hold the power button for 5 seconds to drain it after it is off - correct. I have an off and on switch I turn off. I then unplug and press power for 5 seconds.
You are the first person who has heard the work spring. most just have an arm you lift.
Where on that spring do you place the pusher, like a plastic pencil with no lead, so you don't damage the spring?

>>I just read something that said after removing the battery to hold the power button for 10 seconds to discharge residual before putting the new battery in. So you are right. I don''t think many know this.
Please tell me how many times to hod the power button and when - it appears to be after you unplug the PC and before you insert the new battery. ?seconds each so you do not damage the PSU?
Great catch and thank you. Good thing I am slow.

 

[DSTM]

Hi Peterr. No, you remove the Electrostatic buildup BEFORE touching anything inside Tower.

Correct but remove all cables from tower, not only power lead and then hold the power button in for a few seconds. USB cables can also carry Static as well. Remember where they go.
Use even a biro or pen and flick the spring clip sideways in direction of RED arrow.

Those spring clips are normally quite robust.

To replace the batter, place shiny side up and sit the battery in with side YELLOW arrow first and then press firmly down with finger. To replace no biro is needed .

Even if not 100% exactly the same the principal is the same.

I strongly advise you to listen to us here at PC HELP FORUM as there is a lot of false information on the internet.

 

[Digerati]

Ummm sorry, but with PCs, holding the power button down does nothing with ATX form factor systems. This is because the power button is just a remote momentary switch to a momentary circuit on the motherboard that simply and momentarily connects the +5Vsb standby voltage to the power-on circuit to signal the system to power on (or off). There are no residual voltages in that circuit to bleed off.

It is critical however, to unplug from the wall (or, if equipped, set the power supply's master power switch to off) and to ALWAYS discharge any electrostatic build up "in your body" before reaching into the innards of the computer. And the best way to do that is to touch bare metal of the case interior before reaching in. This will put you and the computer at "the same potential" - thus making it impossible for any further current to flow from your fingertips and through any ESD (electrostatic discharge) sensitive devices.

Note with the old "AT" standards, the front panel power button ran directly back to the power supply and for them, holding the button down did help bleed off residual voltages. But that was many years ago and no longer applicable. Old habits die hard.

Also note that while CR2032 is the most common designation and is used by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), it is not a mandated industry standard designation. For example, the Duracell equivalent is DL2032 and the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) uses 5004LC for the same battery. As seen here, there are nearly 2 dozen equivalent designations for the CR2032.

That said, as far as Speccy (one of my favorite programs), it is not uncommon for any of these hardware monitoring programs to show incorrect values - this seems especially true of voltages. Replacing the battery only costs a couple dollars so no big loss if Speccy was wrong. But for sure, before replacing something expensive, like a power supply, verify first by swapping in a known good supply, or having yours properly tested. Speccy, for example, shows my voltages as follows:

+3.3V Speccy shows 2.028 V
+5V Speccy shows 3.367 V
+12V Speccy shows 0.048 V
CMOS BATTERY Speccy shows 1.536 V​

Cleary, if my voltages were really that far off, this computer would not be working.

 

[Tony D]

Yes, Yes, Yes - I agree with everything Digerati said.

 

[DSTM]

Ummm sorry, but with PCs, holding the power button down does nothing with ATX form factor systems. This is because the power button is just a remote momentary switch to a momentary circuit on the motherboard that simply and momentarily connects the +5Vsb standby voltage to the power-on circuit to signal the system to power on (or off). There are no residual voltages in that circuit to bleed off.

It is critical however, to unplug from the wall (or, if equipped, set the power supply's master power switch to off) and to ALWAYS discharge any electrostatic build up "in your body" before reaching into the innards of the computer. And the best way to do that is to touch bare metal of the case interior before reaching in. This will put you and the computer at "the same potential" - thus making it impossible for any further current to flow from your fingertips and through any ESD (electrostatic discharge) sensitive devices.

Note with the old "AT" standards, the front panel power button ran directly back to the power supply and for them, holding the button down did help bleed off residual voltages. But that was many years ago and no longer applicable. Old habits die hard.

Also note that while CR2032 is the most common designation and is used by the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), it is not a mandated industry standard designation. For example, the Duracell equivalent is DL2032 and the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) uses 5004LC for the same battery. As seen here, there are nearly 2 dozen equivalent designations for the CR2032.

That said, as far as Speccy (one of my favorite programs), it is not uncommon for any of these hardware monitoring programs to show incorrect values - this seems especially true of voltages. Replacing the battery only costs a couple dollars so no big loss if Speccy was wrong. But for sure, before replacing something expensive, like a power supply, verify first by swapping in a known good supply, or having yours properly tested. Speccy, for example, shows my voltages as follows:

+3.3V Speccy shows 2.028 V
+5V Speccy shows 3.367 V
+12V Speccy shows 0.048 V
CMOS BATTERY Speccy shows 1.536 V​

Cleary, if my voltages were really that far off, this computer would not be working.

By holding the power button for a few seconds often all the fans spin up for a fraction of a second to release static build up. I have repaired enough to know.

 

[peterr]

I always unplug and disconnect all. I turn the switch to off. Press power button or not? If no damage, maybe a good safe measure to press briefly? Then wearing a anti static wrist band, do my work. I notice my CMOS reports 1.6. As you say Speccy is often wrong. A multi tester is good to have and I use it on all my batteries. I will test the 5 year old PSU when I get a chance. My manual does call for CMOS CR 2032. Yes there are a lot of opinions around so it is wise to do a thorough investigation before proceeding. Thank you all for your help. I hope the thumbnail is better than the full image. I could not get the battery since radio Shack closed so will go to a parts store near me . I read that if the swap is made within 2 minutes the BIOS will not be affected. I can always use default as I did with the new hard drive and I have photos of the current bios in my Drive. I will wait till i have the new one before removing the old.
BTW, the clip shown is not like mine. I have not seen mine on the web. If I get a chance I will post a picture. It is actually spring loaded so it is hard to know what part to push on and away from the battery. That is the crux of this as I tried once before. I will get it.

 

[Digerati]

You are correct that the fans might try to spin up, but it is not due to "residual" voltages. CPU and case fans are 12V. The front panel button uses the +5Vsb rail, so not the same circuits as the fans or the CMOS battery.

 

[peterr]

Turn off, unplug all and disconnect all, turn switch off then use wristband. It hurts sitting on the fence.

 

[Digerati]

Yeah, wristbands are fine too - as long as you properly ground it to bare metal of the case.

 

[DSTM]

Hi Peterr.
You say you have a Dell XPS 8300 and you want to change the CMOS Battery.
I said yours may not be exactly the same, but same principle.
I downloaded the Dell XPS 8300 User Manual and really it's not hard to work out how to release.
Don't forget to remove the label, or it won't work.
Here are diagrams from the User Manual.
Hope this helps you.

Remove
Figure 1 is the battery release lever.



Replace