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Archived This topic has been archived. Information and links in this thread may no longer be available or relevant. If you have a question create a new topic by clicking here and select the appropriate board.
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HP pav. 13 x360. Windows 10 Had the plugged in not charging error with a CMOS error at boot up and then it would take 5min to boot and then it would run fine. Got it in under warranty and they changed the battery out. 4 months later the error has occurred again. As before I tried all the basic troubleshooting from reinstalling/updating drivers to flashing the BIOS to reinstalling windows and it still would not charge. Took it apart this time as it is out of warranty, pulled the battery, cleaned out all the connectors and am currently checking for possible short sites, but I rebooted the laptop without the batter and still got the CMOS error but it booted immediately. I am going to do more troubleshooting, but I do not know what this CMOS error is if the battery is out of the machine. What am I missing? Thanks in advance. Please help. Wife is not happy without laptop.
11 REPLIES 11
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> Got it in under warranty and they changed the battery out.

 

Which battery did HP replace?

 

A "CMOS error" means that the (small) battery on the motherboard has failed to keep "trickling" enough power to the CMOS chip to enable the CMOS to retain its settings.  This battery is distinct from the "main" removable battery that fits into the laptop.

 

Some computers have "power" settings to maximize battery-life.  This may include not automatically charging the battery up to 100%, if you usually use the computer on AC power.  So, this may trigger the "plugged-in-not-charging" message, but it does increase the life of the battery.

 

> rebooted without the battery, and still got the CMOS error

 

Definitely, it's the "small" battery on the motherboard that is not working.

Contact HP, to see if they will admit that they changed the "wrong" battery.

 

 

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Thank you so much for responding so quickly. A few questions if you would be so kind. If the CMOS battery is bad, why does it take 5 min to boot with the reg battery in as opposed to a few seconds with it out? If they did not replace the CMOS battery when we sent it in, how did it work for 4 months with no issues (that we could see)? Upon replacing the battery (5min ago) I received a "Internal battery error 601," stating that the battery installed was less than 25% of its normal capacity and might need to be replaced. If it is indeed a setting issues, will changing the setting allow my wife to charge the batter or will the bad CMOS continue to change it? If I want to try and change it, are you referring to a BIOS setting or a simple windows setting? I am very confused on this. Sorry for all the questions. Thank you again.
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> If the CMOS battery is bad, why does it take 5 min to boot with the reg battery in as opposed to a few seconds with it out?

 

Do you mean that you are booting it with the "big" battery installed and *NOT* connected to AC power,

as opposed to booting it with the "big" battery removed, and using *ONLY* the AC power?

 

If so, then the "power" settings might be configured to "maximize" the laptop, by slowing-down the CPU, to consume less power.  Of course, a slower CPU creates a long boot-up time.

 

>  If they did not replace the CMOS battery when we sent it in, how did it work for 4 months with no issues (that we could see)?

 

Good question, but I have no answer, unless you kept it connected to AC power for *ALL* of those 4 months.

 

Or, note that the error-message is only generated after you turn the computer on.

If your laptop was "sleeping", and you "woke" it, then that is different from starting from a "power-off" status.

 

> Upon replacing the battery (5min ago) I received a "Internal battery error 601", stating that the battery installed was less than 25% of its normal capacity and might need to be replaced.

 

I wonder if that is "typical" when a brand-new battery is first installed?

Fully charge it, and run the computer without the AC adapter until it's down to less than 10%, and fully recharge it.

 

I wonder how the "normal capacity" is calculated, and where those "statistics" are stored -- maybe in the CMOS?

The computer has to monitor, and collect statistics, the "health" of the battery.

If it "loses" its statistical history, would it generate the error-message?

 

> If it is indeed a setting issues, will changing the setting allow my wife to charge the battery or will the bad CMOS continue to change it?

 

I don't understand the question.  If the "small" battery is the problem, then changing it is necessary.

 

> If I want to try and change it, are you referring to a BIOS setting or a simple windows setting?

 

Neither.  It's a physical replacement of a chip on the motherboard.  This probably is impossible to do, even by a qualified electronic technologist.  It may require precision unsoldering/soldering on the motherboard.  Yikes!

 

So, a replacement of the motherboard is the only solution to a "bad" BIOS-battery.

 

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> I apologize for the wall of text. Still not sure how to format here. > I mean that the AC is connected and the internal battery (BIG) battery is in. It then takes a long time. Here is where you mention the "Settings." You say they are configured a certain way, is that a BIOS settings or a windows settings or one I do not have access to? > Could the bad CMOS or motherboard cause the main, large battery to fail? The computer was certainly not plugged in the entire 4 months we had it so could it be the other way around, could a main battery cause the CMOS to go bad? I do not want to run into an issue of replacing batteries in a circle. > So if I want to replace the CMOS on this model, I will have to replace the motherboard? Yikes is right. I live in Peru SA so getting parts can be difficult. > Do you know of any tests or troubleshooting I can do to narrow this down? It all just seems so odd to have the error for CMOS and then the main battery at the same time.
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> Still not sure how to format here.

 

Just use the ENTER key on your keyboard to insert "blank" lines.

 

> I mean that the AC is connected and the internal battery (BIG) battery is in. It then takes a long time.

 

That's weird.  It's as if the big battery is slowing things down.

 

>  Here is where you mention the "Settings." You say they are configured a certain way, is that a BIOS settings or a windows settings?

 

Within "Control Panel", type 'power' into the search-window, to show all the "power" settings.

 

> Could the bad CMOS or motherboard cause the main, large battery to fail?

 

Possibly, if it fails to shut-off the charging of the battery when it is fully-charged, resulting in an "overcharged" battery.

 

> could a main battery cause the CMOS to go bad?

 

Very doubtful.

 

> I do not want to run into an issue of replacing batteries in a circle.

 

What "circle"?  You said that you have recently replaced the large battery.

 

> So if I want to replace the CMOS on this model, I will have to replace the motherboard? Yikes is right.

 

> I live in Peru SA so getting parts can be difficult.

 

See: http://www8.hp.com/pe/es/store-finder/index.do

 

for HP's "store finder" application to find locations in PERU.

 

> Do you know of any tests or troubleshooting I can do to narrow this down?

 

Got any friend with a very-similar computer that your battery fits into their computer, so that you can "experiment" ?

 

> It all just seems so odd to have the error for CMOS and then the main battery at the same time. 

 

Agreed.

 

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Ok, last questions. I have the entire computer in pieces. I cannot find anything that even looks like a CMOS battery. All my google searches give me what appears to be this computer but then the info and pictures do not match. What should I be looking for here then? Normally it would be a circle with a black and red wire. Is it so deeply built into the motherboard that it is not visible to the naked eye?
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> I cannot find anything that even looks like a CMOS battery.

 

Start at:  http://images.google.ca 

and search for "notebook cmos battery",

to see a variety of configurations.

 

Check: http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=168858&d=1397073649

for a "button" battery.

 

See: http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/JTechLLC/2010-03-31_223845_MBD-00277_01.jpg

 

for two batteries that do *NOT* have "wires".

 

 

 

 

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Appreciate all the help. Cheers
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Oh, had one other odd question. My wife's computer always kept the time and date along with all the system setting correct after every reset. I thought if the CMOS battery was dead, it would not keep those setting.
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