Does removing the laptop battery (over time) erase the BIOS setting?

[wmentzer]

Does removing the battery to "store the laptop" clear the BIOS because of NO battery backup? I don't see a CMOS battery, that's why I'm asking. I don't want to remove it and then have a BRICK when I later reinstall the battery.

Thanks.

[Paul_Tikkanen · Accepted solution]

Hi:

You are correct.  There is no CMOS/RTC battery.

The main battery serves as the CMOS/RTC battery.

Yes, removing the battery will set the BIOS settings to their defaults, and you will have to change the time and date every time you turn on the PC.

You will first get a CMOS checksum error that you will have to clear,

[wmentzer]

Thanks. What I'm really worried about are the computers serial number and model number. I've worked on one computer that when I went to the "computer information" page, it was blank, like it was erased. I was not able to do anything with said computer. I looked for an HP program to "re-flash"?  the BIOS, but found no help.

My question is. Are these settings in something like an EEPROM for storage? And BIOS settings date/time settings the only thing I might have to worry about?

We bought a new HP and want to have a "backup" laptop.

Thanks. Again.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome.

There shouldn't be anything I can think of that would cause the BIOS settings to completely disappear.

When I BIOS has no system info present, you'd have to take the PC to a service center where they have the proprietary HP DMI tool which is used to tattoo the BIOS with the relevant PC info (model number, serial number, etc.).

Those programs are not available to us common folks.