New Laptop - Battery dead & cmos going.

[Mar1009]

This new laptop has been a pain, but I am determined to make it work since I got lucky and got it for a good price at a big box retail store because the product isn't being sold in this particular store anymore. I have fair technical knowledge and have built some computers, so I'm comfortable with a lot of the work. Anyway, I am referring to the support community since my warranty dispute ticket has sat for days.

Upon my very first boot-up, I received a CMOS error. Replacing that would be easy enough, but I know with a lot of things nowadays, opening up the laptop would void the warranty I am currently trying to get confirmed. Again, not a big deal and I can leave it alone but it is annoying. Also, it would be best to confirm for the future, does HP void the warranty upon opening up a laptop?

Second, upon running a hardware diagnostic and just observing the laptop, there is a dead cell in the battery. It doesn't hold a charge, and won't function without being plugged in. I need to wait for my warranty, again. Does anyone have an idea of how long I should expect to wait since the 1-day estimation is incorrect? If this process is too long, I might return it and buy a different laptop so I don't have to deal with the hassle. As of now, it has sat for days without being touched due to the waiting game I'm playing with HP right now.

summary:

1. Does HP void warranty if I open up the laptop? Just curious for the future. Might want to upgrade RAM.
2. How long does it take for a warranty dispute to process?
3. Since I just bought this laptop, will they cover the problems listed? (CMOS battery dying & bad cell in the battery itself?)
4. Personal opinion here- should I just return it and buy a different laptop? 

[erico · Accepted solution]

There is no CMOS (RTC) battery.

Modern laptops use current from the main battery to provide power to the BIOS chip.

Today is Sunday, so waiting will indeed be a must. 

If the laptop is brand new, I would go to the store where I purchased it and request a replacement.

A BIOS error on the first boot is not a good sign at all.

[Mar1009]

interesting, thanks for letting me know. I'm not familiar with laptops so I appreciate the new information! 

Honestly, I was thinking the same. BIOS error on the first boot had me a little wary. I am leaning towards a return at this time.

[erico]

I love HP laptop products, but with anything I purchase that is high value that fails or acts weird out of the box, it is back to the store for me.