clock/time ?

[bigvoo]

I've installed 2 different distros on this old dell laptop, install goes fine, i run everything...reboot a few times. perfect, but the next day, when i boot up, i get " date/time" not set, if i choose to ignore that...computer won't boot... is this a battery issue ? the battery wont hold a charge, so i only run it with power pack...works great, but when i turn this on tomorrow, I'll get that w=error messy. thanks for any ideeas.

[Lazydog]

Replace your CMOS battery

[Rubberman]

Replace your CMOS battery

Unfortunately, I'm not sure if these systems have a separate battery for the clock. A lot of systems these days have a capacitor to power the clock when the battery is removed for short periods of time. Does the system clock stop working if you leave it plugged into the power brick?

[bigvoo]

thanks, for the replies, and rubberman...if I leave the power adapter plugged in, the clock works fine and i can reboot as many times as i like, it's only after the comp has been sitting for a few hours, ( unplugged) then i get that eeror messeg...unfortunatly, back when this laptop was made, those ac adaptors/power supply will get super hot after a while. the laptop battery is compltlly dead in this machine, and will not take/hold a charge at all.

[Rubberman]

That pretty much confirms my supposition about capacitor powering the battery. They do that these days, especially on laptops, to keep board and maintenance costs down. Well, you have a couple of choices. 1 - purchase a new battery. It will probably cost you about $100 USD. 2 - Get a new computer. You might be able to find a non-dell replacement battery for less $$, but I don't know for sure. Dell should have them in stock - you can order them from their web site.