Motherboard Battery: My computer's motherboard battery (2032) died again. The result is that the machine will not turn on. Replace the battery and all is good. This is the second time...

BillFeffer Loc: Adolphus, KY

My computer's motherboard battery (2032) died again. The result is that the machine will not turn on. Replace the battery and all is good. This is the second time within a year. Something must be draining it. Anyone have an idea?

It is my build. Intel i5 3.2 ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, MSI Z170a Tomahawk motherboard, Samsung 1 tb m.s ssd as main drive, Samsung SSD 250 gb, Toshiba 500 gb, WD 750 mb, 3 tb WD external USB drive, Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.

Brian S. Loc: Oak Park, MI

BillFeffer wrote:

My computer's motherboard battery (2032) died again. The result is that the machine will not turn on. Replace the battery and all is good. This is the second time within a year. Something must be draining it. Anyone have an idea?

It is my build. Intel i5 3.2 ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, MSI Z170a Tomahawk motherboard, Samsung 1 tb m.s ssd as main drive, Samsung SSD 250 gb, Toshiba 500 gb, WD 750 mb, 3 tb WD external USB drive, Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.

The battery is used to keep the time/date when you power the computer off for the evening. Did you purchase some really old batteries? Try a different brand with a verifiable expire date.

Najataagihe

If you are lucky, you just got a bad battery.

If not, you have something wrong on the motherboard.

That battery should last five years.

The only thing it powers is the clock and any volatile RAM chip that holds the boot configuration.

Not every motherboard uses these RAM chips, but many do.

It sounds like yours does, as the machine is refusing to boot without the battery.

My guess, without looking at the equipment (and it is not a bad battery), is that your volatile RAM chips are bad - the clock chip usually just stops working, not draw enough current to drain the battery.

Since none of the chips on the motherboard are easily replaced, the most practical solution is to get a new motherboard.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

BillFeffer wrote:

My computer's motherboard battery (2032) died again. The result is that the machine will not turn on. Replace the battery and all is good. This is the second time within a year. Something must be draining it. Anyone have an idea?

It is my build. Intel i5 3.2 ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, MSI Z170a Tomahawk motherboard, Samsung 1 tb m.s ssd as main drive, Samsung SSD 250 gb, Toshiba 500 gb, WD 750 mb, 3 tb WD external USB drive, Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.

I am surprised that the machine won’t boot with a dead battery as it typically just holds parameters like time. In fact, many modern boards don’t even have replaceable batteries. Are there any BIOS setting pertaining to the battery? Will the machine boot if you remove it entirely? I think a call to MSI is in order...

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

BillFeffer wrote:

My computer's motherboard battery (2032) died again. The result is that the machine will not turn on. Replace the battery and all is good. This is the second time within a year. Something must be draining it. Anyone have an idea?

It is my build. Intel i5 3.2 ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, MSI Z170a Tomahawk motherboard, Samsung 1 tb m.s ssd as main drive, Samsung SSD 250 gb, Toshiba 500 gb, WD 750 mb, 3 tb WD external USB drive, Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.

Your battery charging circuitry could be deficient but is more than likely overwhelmed by the additional drive and possibly the graphics card which can use up stored volts if left "on" when the system Sleeps.

There may be a simple leakage some where on the motherboard where a connection is grounding-out. The possibilities are vast and hard to determine. You'll need to have a technician evaluate the cause & effects.

Sorry I cannot be of better assistance but you can try to eliminate the source by disconnecting add-on devices to see if the problem goes away as a 1st step, then pursue the expensive route....Good Luck Sir.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

BillFeffer wrote:

My computer's motherboard battery (2032) died again. The result is that the machine will not turn on. Replace the battery and all is good. This is the second time within a year. Something must be draining it. Anyone have an idea?

It is my build. Intel i5 3.2 ghz, 32 gb ddr4 ram, MSI Z170a Tomahawk motherboard, Samsung 1 tb m.s ssd as main drive, Samsung SSD 250 gb, Toshiba 500 gb, WD 750 mb, 3 tb WD external USB drive, Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU.

Make sure the contacts on the mother board an battery are clean.

Najataagihe

Blair Shaw Jr wrote:

Your battery charging circuitry could be deficient but is more than likely overwhelmed by the additional drive and possibly the graphics card which can use up stored volts if left "on" when the system Sleeps.

Point of order.

The motherboard battery (CR2032) is not rechargeable and has nothing to do with anything other than the clock and the volatile RAM where the configuration is stored.

The BIOS is usually on an EEPROM, which needs no battery to retain its information.

Peripheral devices do not draw power from this battery.

We are back to either a bad replacement battery or a bad motherboard.

Hamltnblue Loc: Springfield PA

When you shut down don't remove the power from the computer. Doing so should remove the motherboards need for the battery power.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Najataagihe wrote:

Point of order. br br The motherboard battery (CR... (show quote)

Exactly.

chrissybabe Loc: New Zealand

One thing to be very very very careful of is that you don't allow any part of the battery socket to short out the battery contacts. If this happens maybe the battery emptied itself mostly and there was only enough power left in it to run for a few months. And you should really use rubber gloves since finger grease can often be enough to reduce the batteries life considerably.
I wouldn't trust most of my non tech savvy friends to change a battery for me because of this.

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

Najataagihe wrote:

Point of order. br br The motherboard battery (CR... (show quote)

Sorry Naj....have a nice day. Good luck to you.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Najataagihe wrote:

Point of order. br br The motherboard battery (CR... (show quote)

Perfect!

BillFeffer Loc: Adolphus, KY

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I replaced the battery with a fresh one. The machine is shut down unless being used and always plugged in unless there is a storm. The only external peripheral devices are a web cam, speakers, a USB drive, a monitor calibration device and the monitors. The problem takes too long to manifest to determine if any of those are at fault. For now I'll keep a spare battery and see what happens in a few months unless the world collapses by then.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

Blair Shaw Jr wrote:

Your battery charging circuitry could be deficient... (show quote)

He isn't talking about a laptop. You can tell by the parts he listed.

AirWalter Loc: Tipp City, Ohio

jerryc41 wrote:

Perfect!

But if the battery fails, after replacing it with a new one you still need to set the time and date in the bios again, along with the other options that you want in the bios!